Older and Younger Job Seekers' Impression Management on LinkedIn: Similar Strategies, Different Outcomes

Abstract

The use of social networking sites such as LinkedIn in recruitment is ubiquitous. This practicemay hold risks for older job seekers. Not having grown up using the internet and having learned how to use social media only in middle adulthood may render them less versed in online self-presentation than younger job seekers. Results of this research show some differences and many similarities between younger and older job seekers impression management on their LinkedIn profiles. Nevertheless, independent of their impression management efforts, older job seekers received fewer job offers than younger job seekers. Only using a profile photo with a younger appearance reduced this bias. Implications for the role of job seeker age in online impression management and recruitment are discussed.