Employer and employee perceptions of cybervetting as a selection method

Abstract

Cybervetting—reviewing candidates' online profiles—is a relatively new technique used in the personnel selection processes, but empirical studies have largely been conducted with western samples. In Study 1, we interviewed 20 employers from different sectors in a metropolitan city in Turkey and examined the characteristics and implications of the construct. We summarized the reasons given by participants who avoided cybervetting (i.e., irrelevance, validity, invasion of privacy, prejudice) and those who frequently relied on cybervetting (i.e., necessity, validity, consistency checking) and illustrated perceived positive and negative online posts. In Study 2, we collected data from 316 employees in the same city to examine their perceptions of cybervetting and its relationship to organizational justice constructs. In addition to confirming international scales of cybervetting and organizational justice, we found that the face validity of cybervetting and organizational justice constructs were significantly correlated. While some differences were observed between employers and managers, no gender differences were found. The implications of both studies were presented in line with the available literature.