HR Management Recruitment in the Digital Age

In a world where more in person work is transitioned to digital or remote work, human resource management teams struggle to recruit employees from the newest generation. Blurred lines of workplace expectations and communication practices hinder the potential successes of companies and organizations. There was a change in the relationship between formal work and digital communication through the upbringing in a digital age as well as the sudden transition of mandated remote work through the pandemic. There are currently multiple generations of workers in the workforce and all have unique relationships with digital communication, offering many approaches to proposed issues in the workplace. This also means that there is a difference in the expectations of older generations welcoming more technically savvy employees into the workforce. The communication styles and strengths of younger generations simplify the previous work done to employ better efficiency practices. Hiring managers in human resource management departments search for candidates based on previous understandings of how the work is expected to be completed, so new ideas and how those ideas are conveyed are made weary and often lead to miscommunication and more struggles to fill roles. 

According to the textbook, recruitment is where the search for the best human capital to represent their organization is crucial and considered the most important step (Berman, 2021, p. 112). With this super team of employees can organizations have the most potential success in a rapidly transitioning digital age. As mentioned in reference to the thought process of the most successful organizations: 

realize that success in a competitive environment is not possible without entrepreneurial recruitment practices, such as hiring efficiency and test flexibility (U.S. GAO 2016), as are afforded through the use of the internet in disseminating information and gathering and evaluating applicant data (Stone et al., 2015; U.S. MSPB, 2015).

Notice the inclusion of the term ‘entrepreneurial recruitment practices’ as this strains the human resource community in the battle between searching for current skill sets or future potential in applicants. The driving factor for applicants in the recruitment process is the opportunity to do impactful, challenging work. Recruitment as an overarching human resource management development is in dire need of evaluation and review from the perspectives of different departmental professionals and generations. 

This literature review will examine the relationship human resource professionals have with younger generations entering the workforce, as well as their communication styles and best practices to ease this transition. The focus of this paper from the perspective of human resource management is recruiting from an employer’s perspective. The literature chosen for this review is all of scholarly, peer reviewed researchers on the topics of digital management, concepts of competency, social profile analysis, sustainable management, social networking websites, web-based recruitment sources, and the influence of covid-19 in transitioning digitally. 

Literature Review 

Since the recession in 2008 and the continuous aftermath of the implications of covid-19, employment and its worth, including salaries and pensions, are reassessed. Overarching, management must adapt to digitization or will be left in the past. Human resource management teams search for dynamic capabilities in the software available online to weave through the pool of applicants. HR dynamic capabilities is defined as “the capacity of the HR function to ‘purposefully create, extend or modify’ the HR base (Ruel, (adapted from Helfat et al. 2007), 2007, p. 394). As this applies to the day-to-day activities of recruiters in HRM, professionals have developed e-HRM to reduce time spent on transactions and simplify administrative procedures. Technology is necessary in the utilization of connectivity and integration of new hires into the processes of the organization through human resource recruiting (Strohmeier, 2007, p. 20). To further this claim, Grebstad states, “Gen Z has been raised almost exclusively in a digital world and, as a result, is the most technologically astute generation” (2022, p. 1). As an expected technological generation entering the workforce, professionals in HRM must acclimate their expectations and understand changes. 

Kettunen, Sampson, and Vuorinen review the competencies of social media use in career services through the abilities of the service to deliver information, promote career services, collaborate on career exploration and to explore co-careering (2015, p. 5). This introduction of social media in the career service sector challenges the HRM to adapt to innovative approaches and reassess their relationship with digital technologies. Social media is a tool to connect and develop communication between people to form understandings and communities. In this case, the communities that these relationships are forming in are professional settings and often remote since the transition from covid-19. In the review of this topic by Barykin et al., the context of the transition from traditional to digital workplace understandings may not reflect the available competencies of the individual being recruited. 

The framework for Barykin’s research relies on the analysis of social profiles of potential recruits and current employees to better understand and form an opinion for the compatibility of teams working together on projects as they do on digital platforms and social networking sites (2020, p. 15). Creating an identity to show oneself in a digital manner is increasingly important to recruiters because the successful operation of jobs is of particular importance as is selecting the right candidate to fill those positions (Oncioiu, Anton, Ifrim, & Mândricel, 2022 , p. 1). By candidates presenting themselves online, human resource professionals are able to manufacture digital strategies and technologically savvy systems to recruit the best and most qualified candidates for the role. Also in doing this, there is a lesser risk for inequality of opportunity. 

As the main cultivator of the study, Zhang explains the factors imperative to sustainable and continuous growth of HRM. Of these factors that promote healthy sustainability in management, employee training and education is of the greatest importance (Zhang, 2019, p.16). Concluding this study is the general agreement that this work is evaluated and restructured on a case-by-case basis. This means that, depending on the enterprise, training purposes and requirements differ and the only way to sustain the organization is to have training regularly for updates of the digital capabilities and supplemental administration. Kettunen again adds to this research and suggests human resource practitioners to be retrained in how to communicate from the transition from face-to-face workplace understanding to digital distance communication practices (2015, p.7). In the review of Kettunen and the evaluation of career services through the use of social media, quotes from participants of the study are used as to be aimed towards HRM professionals: 

“This is also changing the rules: career services can’t make social media behave as career services would like it to. Instead, career services have to change the way career services work so that it will work through social media. That is a big challenge because we have to rethink the whole idea of career services” (Kettunen, 2015, p. 18). 

The takeaway from Kettunen’s review of these interview studies is the idea of complete reevaluation of the recruiting process. This reevaluation will allow for generational understanding in workforce wave transitions and better cooperation between supervisors and the expectations of new hires in the recruiting process. In agreement with this are the findings from Barykin and their co-researchers. Barykin et al. discusses the importance of transitioning from traditional management practices to digital and the changes that will occur in accordance with the communication expectations and interactions of this adaptation. To emphasize this claim by Barykin is the study of web-based recruitment sources by Van Hoye and Lievens. These researchers discuss the importance of word-of-mouse from current individual employees of an organization on the opinions of the position being applied for. Influenced by and persuaded through firsthand accounts of working within the organization supports transparency in the organization and trust in the supervisors (Van Hoye et al., 2007, p. 373). 

As more professionals are utilizing social networking websites, the nature of networking has changed. Professionals on the opposite side of the spectrum agree that the job searching process is extensively time consuming and physically and mentally demanding (Nikolaou, et. Boswell, Zimmerman, & Swider, 2104, p. 180). As time has gone on, these social networking sites as active recruiting sites have been considered normalized and aided the recruitment processes for HRM. Some of the research conducted and reviewed in Nikolaou’s analysis of networking websites shows lower quality applicants are more likely to use these sites in pursuit of a career than applicants who apply directly on the organizations website. This use of individual site applications still utilizes the digital application of the connection being made; however, does not emphasize the success of social networking sites. To further the discussion from Zhang, employee training is affected by national social development. This takes into account the presence that employees use online and opinions made clear on the topics of larger social trends in reference to the work of the individual organization (Zhang, 2019, p. 17). Some of the testimonials made in Van Hoye’s research concluded that there was more trust from the applicants perspective in social networking websites on the accounts of first hand employees of the organizations rather than the employee reviews on the company’s own website (2007, p. 379).  

Recruitment officers often use web-based recruitment services as alternative background checking opportunities rather than searching for potential hirees. Normally, following the submission of a resume, cover letter, and after the first interview in the recruitment process, HRM will seek out additional information about the candidate (Nikolaou, 2014,  p. 187). On these social profiles as networking sites, recruiters are able to view past employers, professional connections with other people and organizations to get an overall view of the candidate as a whole and their potential contribution to the organization if they are chosen to move on. It was expected by Nikolaou that younger users would be more active on these sites and is where the next workforce of employees will be found in majority. Zhang mentions the opportunities associated with shared training and the ability to open up a communication platform for employees to communicate and exchange information, knowledge and creativity (2019, p.17). 

Critique 

The arguments for the adaptation of these organizations to digitize their approach to recruiting is strong and thoroughly supported by the data in these research studies. The majority of these scholars are in agreement with each other on the basis that approaches to recruitment are best carried out when personalized to the organization and even more personalized to the route of application of each potential employee. The weaknesses of this proposed topic is the limited information analyzed through scholarly views as to the successes of these strategies. With the transition to digital work being so sudden when covid-19 forced everyone to work remotely, there has not since been lengthy updates to this research. 

Some suggestions from the researchers throughout this review have stated that there is a dire need in each organizational approach to develop or reevaluate training practices to recruit and support career practitioners and HRM to understand the influence of social media competencies in the success of the organization. There are differences in the perception of social networking sites as positively or negatively impacting the effectiveness of the candidate's application. 

There is further room for exploration in this area of research in reference to the ideas proposed in each of these literatures. Room for more research to be done on the views of employee testimonials of their individual experiences at their organizations as seen by applicants' preference for social networking site reviews rather than company produced and advertised ones. Many of the sources reviewed in this paper discuss the idea of individual approaches to recruitment. Alongside the idea for this individual perspective of the organization is the integration of digital technologies. These ideas are connected because within this digital strategy is suggested to include personal accounts. Digital HRM argues for the conceptual step to the future in evolutionary technology and recruitment services (Strohmeier, 2022, p. 14). 

Conclusion/Summary 

Through the analysis of competency, social networking websites, and recruitment sources this review was able to emphasize the importance of digital adaptation and congruence with the sociological advancements of the applicant pool. The overall intent of the review of these studies is to suggest and critique the policies and studies from organizations human resource departments to aid the success of hiring in a digital age. The contents of this paper discussed the relationship newer generations have with digital communication as well as the expectations and need for more fluid understandings of individual needs as an applicant and as an organization. 

References 

Barykin, S.; Kalinina, O.; Aleksandrov, I.; Konnikov, E.; Yadikin, V.; Draganov, M. Personnel Management Digital Model Based on the Social Profiles’ Analysis. J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex. 2020, 6, 152. 

Berman, E., et al. “Chapter 3: Recruitment: FROM PASSIVE POSTING TO SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING.” Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, And, 7th ed., CQ PRESS, S.l., California, 2021, pp. 111–146. 

Grebstad, M. C. (2022). Talent acquisition: becoming an employer of choice for gen Z. Toronto: Canadian Forces College, Minister of National Defence.

Kettunen, J.; Sampson, J.P., Jr.; Vuorinen, R. Career practitioners’ conceptions of competency for social media in career services. Br. J. Guid. Couns. 2015, 43, 43–56. 

Nikolaou, I. Social networking web sites in job search and employee recruitment. Int. J. Sel. Assess. 2014, 22, 179–189. 

Oncioiu, I., Anton, E., Ifrim, A. M., & Mândricel, D. A. (2022). The influence of social networks on the digital recruitment of human resources: An empirical study in the tourism sector. Sustainability, 14(6), 3693. 

Ruël, H.J.M.; Bondarouk, T.V.; Van der Velde, M. The contribution of e-HRM to HRM effectiveness. Empl. Relat. 2007, 29, 280–291.

Strohmeier, S. Research in e-HRM: Review and implications. Hum. Resour. Manag. Rev. 2007, 17, 19–37.

​​Van Hoye, G.; Lievens, F. Investigating web-based recruitment sources: Employee testimonials vs word-of-mouse. Int. J. Sel. Assess. 2007, 15, 372–382. 

Zhang, L.; Guo, X.; Lei, Z.; Lim, M.K. Social network analysis of sustainable human resource management from the employee training’s perspective. Sustainability 2019, 11, 380.