Using Social Media in the Selection Process: An Ethical Perspective for Employers and Applicants

Abstract

Social media is a widely popular communication platform that has been quickly adopted by millions of users world-wide (Statista, 2020). The vast amount of available information on social media is increasingly utilized in the selection process (Landers & Schmidt, 2016). This manuscript considers the use of social media in the selection process through the lens of two ethical perspectives. The utilitarian perspective provides an ethical lens with which to discuss the actions of employers. Alternatively, the deontological perspective provides an ethical lens to better understand the position of job seekers. The manuscript concludes with a discussion and recommendations for practice.