Exploring factors driving social recruiting: The case of Australian organizations

ABSTRACT

This study identifies key factors driving the organizational adoption of social recruiting technologies, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) framework, as an initial exploratory approach, is used to identify underlying factors of new technology adoption. Qualitative evidence collected from 12 Australian firms serves to specifically categorize key determinants of the organizational adoption of social recruiting technologies. It is found that apart from several TOE factors that significantly influence the organizational decision making with reference to social recruiting, top management support is seen as imperative for successful adoption of recruiting technologies. Formalization, comprehensiveness, and strategic orientation of organizational human resource departments are closely linked to adoption of social recruiting at the firm level. In addition, job applicants’ readiness and local success stories have driven firms to adopt social recruiting technologies. The study extends and modifies the TOE model to provide the theoretical foundations of social recruiting in the context of Australian organizations and help human resource professionals and practitioners to gain a better understanding of key drivers of organizational social recruiting.

KEYWORDS:

• Organizational environment
• recruiting
• social network websites
• social recruiting
• technology adoption
• TOE model

Acknowledgement

The authors thank anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the earlier version of the manuscript. The guidance provided by Professor Clyde Holsapple, Editor-in-Chief of this journal, to further improve the quality of this article is also gratefully acknowledged.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kia Kashi

Kia Kashi is a PhD candidate at Department of Management, Deakin School of Business, Deakin University. He holds MS and BS degrees from Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Iran. His articles have appeared in such journals as International Journal of Selection and Assessment, and the International Journal of Human Resource Management. His current research interest includes recruitment technology adoption and usage, social recruiting technologies, and applicants’ reactions to recruiting methods.

Connie Zheng

Dr. Connie Zheng is a senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Australia. Her research interests cover technology innovation, employee turnover, work-life balance, and human factors contributing to firm performance. Connie’s research outputs have been published in Asia-Pacific Journal of Management, Journal of Service Management, Personnel Review, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change.

John Molineux

Dr. John Molineux is a lecturer in Human Resource Management at Deakin University. During a long career as a HR manager, he completed an action research PhD in Strategic HRM and Organizational Cultural Change at Monash University. In 2010 he became a full-time academic, and has since published articles in The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Employee Relations, and Systemic Practice and Action Research. He is currently working on a range of research projects involving HR practice, work-life issues, and positive psychology.