Becoming an HR Generalist (Part 1 of 2)

Summary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.


A Human Resources (HR) Generalist is someone who is the point of contact for all personnel issues. Unlike a specialist, a Generalist is expected to be knowledgeable in all HR functions including hiring, organizational development, compensation/benefits, and the well-being of employees. He/she is often assigned to one or more departments within an organization (depending on the company size). This position is often a junior position to the highest HR position in the organization. Working in a matrix structure, this individual usually reports to two individuals: a senior HR Manager and the department head.

They are a variety of career growth options once an individual is employed as an HR Generalist. He/she has the opportunity to grow into a separate specialist role focusing specifically on recruitment/hiring, compensation or employee relations. Staying within the HR Generalist role can also provide developmental responsibilities by taking on more responsibilities or managing other HR Generalist.

Being an HR Generalist has both its ups and downs. The great thing about being an HR Generalist is that the job entails a high level of variety. An individual in this position is exposed to different aspects of HR as well as playing an active role in the organization's development. Those who play an HR Generalist role have also identified that the position creates a sense of identity because they often are involved with all levels of the organization and are engaged in the company's growth. Finally, the position allows the opportunity to impact the lives of the employees. Generalists have a say in who is hired, compensation of employees and the termination of employees.

With advantages, comes disadvantages. Moving into the role of an HR Generalist can be extremely stressful because one is expected to learn a large amount of information with a little amount of time. Furthermore, the position includes responsibilities that are not always pleasant. In fact, some of the responsibilities can be heart breaking, such as conducting individual and large-scale terminations. It should also be noted that the position requires tasks that be repetitive and simple including providing benefits information, updating information systems and/or getting the appropriate documentation filled out.

Before pursuing an HR generalist opening, it is recommended to research the company to determine what is expected from an HR Generalist as it can vary from company to company. The job description should also be reviewed carefully to understand the organization's expectations of a Generalist.

To be Continued.....
Part 2: From an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist to an HR Role. Available October 2nd, 2010.







Original Source: Martin, S.L., Latham, V.M. (2010). Moving into an HR generalist roll: a good career move? The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. 47(4), 29-34.

Picture from: http://www.staffordshire.police.uk/media/images/largeheaderimages/20138/20175/Human-Resources.jpg

There's a Policy for That: Sexual Harassment

Source: Hertzog, J.L., Wright, D., & Beat, D. (2008). There's a policy for that: a comparison of the organizational culture of workplaces reporting incidents of sexual harassment. Behavir and Social Issues, 17, 169-181.

Summary and Commentary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

Unfortunately, recent research by Hertzog, Write and Beat (2008) reveals that policy alone is not enough to  remove sexual harassment from the workplace. Their study utilized data from 303 companies included in the 2002 National Organizational Survey. All of these companies had policies related to sexual harassment. Out of this sample, 29% of the companies have had a formal complaint filed against them for sexual harassment. These companies were found to experience patterns of negative workplace behavior compared to organizations that did not have a formal complaint. They were also more likely to have occurrences of sexual harassment.

Most the organizations in the study were found to offer training to managers and employees. However, organizations that had claims against them were more likely to offer classes on sexual harassment, workplace violence, conflict resolution, and overcoming negative behaviors.

Since policies alone are not enough to prevent sexual harassment, the researchers suggest implementing behavioral interventions that aim to increase reporting behaviors and reduce sexual harassment behaviors. Merely implementing a policy does not change the organizational behavior, it only protects the company from liability.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

A policy alone is not sufficient in preventing sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace. The policy sets the foundation and then it is up to managers to communicate and support its initiative. To create a culture that reduces the chance of sexual harassment behaviors, the organization should continually offer training on the topic as well as communicate [on a regular basis] that any type of negative workplace behavior is not accepted in the company. 

As HR professionals, we should ensure that the message of the policy is clear and that all accusations of sexual harassment should be investigated. Ignoring any accusations put the organization at risk for a legal complaint. Sexual harassment should not be ignored by any individual and all complaints or concerns should be taken seriously, regardless of the source. 

Effective HR Strategies for Enhancing the Organizational Commitment of HIV-Positive Employees

Summary and Commentary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

Source: Fulford, M.D., Rothman, R. (2007). Effective HR strategies for enhancing the organizational commitment of HIV-positive employees. Journal of Organizational Culture, Communication and Conflict, 11(1), 91-103.

While there is an abundance of research on discrimination in the workplace, few studies examine the treatment of HIV-Positive (HIV+) personnel. The lack of research may be because HIV+ individuals do not differentiate in image, organizations do not view HIV-status as an area of concern, or HIV+ are not hired or retained (not terminated) if their status becomes public. In reality, HIV+ employees pose no threat to coworkers/customers through casual contact and their HIV-status will likely not affect their performance. It is also illegal to discriminate HIV+ employees/applicants as they are covered by the American Disabilities Act (ADA) if they are able to perform the job with or without reasonable accommodations.

Utilizing previous research and a focus group with 13 employed HIV+ employees, the researchers obtained a list of HR strategies addressed to increase organizational commitment of HIV+ employees.  Organizational commitment is a term that describes one's identification and involvement in their current company. Researchers have established organizational commitment as a psychological state. Through these methods, 18 policies were identified. These policies are listed at the end of this summary.

A survey was filled out by 64 participants, 50 of which identified as HIV+. The initial section of the survey measured the participant's organizational commitment. The second second listed the 18 HR strategies and asked the participant if his/her organization followed the policy and if it was implemented, would the policy increase his/her commitment.

Majority of the participants claimed that all but 3 policies were not in place at their current employer. 10 of the 18 policies were found to significantly affect organizational commitment*. For these scores, commitment was higher for organizations that followed the policy than those who did not follow the policy. The respondents felt that all 18 policies would likely increase their commitment to an organization if they were implemented. Even the lowest rated item (allowing HIV+ employees to take sabbaticals) had a score above neutral at 3.33 (out of 5).

The article did not state any limitations when it is obvious that future research can be improved. Future research can examine sexual orientation, race, or level in the organization. In addition, future research can examine the opinion of hiring managers or co-workers. This topic requires more coverage in the industry and it is an area that I would personally would love to research. Below are the policies identified. Policies written in blue were the items that respondents felt would increase their desire to stay at the organization. Items composed of red font were felt to be the least influential.

1. Develop a culture that accommodates the special needs of HIV infected employees.*
2. Gives employees the opportunity to be open about their infection.*
3. Offer employee assistance programs for infected and non-infected employees and their loved ones.*
4. Develop orientation, training, team building programs and workshops to help infected and non-infected employees work effectively together.*
5. Offer the same medical benefits to all employees and their domestic partners regardless of their HIV Status.
6. Allow infected employees to take medical leaves of absence so they do not use up all of their sick leave for treatment and recovery.*
7. Allow infected employees a greater range of medical benefit options.
8. Let infected employees work with a committee of their choice to develop flexible work strategies to the mutual benefit of the company and the employee.
9. Schedule infected employees for a maximum 5/day/40 hour work week with two days off in a row.
10. Allow infected employees a greater range of work options to meet their needs, including part-time, flex-time and work at home.*
11. Allow infected employees to transfer positions as required by their illness.*
12. Allow infected workers to take sabbaticals (for example, one out of every six years) to focus on other aspects of their lives.
13. Provide full medical benefits to infected employees who were full-time but are forced by their illness to work part-time.
14. Promote infected employees strictly on the basis of job performance rather than possible future health considerations.
15. Ensures responsibilities are not taken away from infected employees unless the employee willingly renounces them or, can no longer perform them.*
16. Empower infected employees to address issues of possible discrimination, harassment or hostile co-workers.*
17. Audit managers to ensure non-discriminatory treatment of infected employees.*
18. Ensure confidentiality regarding HIV related issues. 

*signifies that the policy was found to have statistical significance less than .05.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

When it comes down to it, an individuals HIV-status should not be an employer's concern.  Not only is it illegal, but with today's advanced medications, his/her HIV-status will have little impact on performance. Finally, employees should have the option to be open about their HIV status without the fear of repercussion. This can prove difficult many individuals do not have all the background information on HIV and their lack of knowledge may cause rejection or fear. The best way to overcome this is to provide information on HIV to employees or provide them a list of resources.

The only exception to this rule is if the employee is working in a facility with a high risk of injury (i.e. exposure to bodily fluids). Regardless, all employees should be informed that they should not clean up any bodily fluids and if they are going to provide any first-aid, that they should always wear protective gloves (to protect themselves and the other individual). 


To donate to HIV research and education, please go to http://www.amfar.com/

Future employment selection methods: evaluating social networking web sites

Source: Kluemper, D.H., Rosen, P.A. (2009). Future employment selection methods: evaluating social networking web sites. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(6), 567-590.

Summary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

Social networking websites (SNWs) aim to develop communities of people that share similar interests or desire to learn more about others' interests. These sites also provides a presentation of one's network of friends. With their increased popularity, they have began to become a popular tool in the world of recruitment and selection. In a study by Shea and Wesley (2006) it was found that 50% of employers [that attend job fairs]  and 20-25% of hiring managers (Taylor, 2007; NACE, 2006) utilize SNWs and search engines to screen candidates. However, there is little research on the validity and reliability of SNW. This is crucial to prove to the Legal Justice System that the tool accurately predicts success in the position.

A variety of traits have been found to be a successful predictor of job performance; primarily consciousness. Extroversion agreeableness, and neuroticism have also been found to have positive relationships to job performance. Finally, openness have been a successful predictor of training performance (but not job performance). Kluempter & Rosen (2009) set out to determine if SNW can be use to appropriately measure these traits as well as intelligence and performance.

63 students that were currently enrolled in an employment selection course were chosen to participate in the study. These individuals were trained on employee selection as a result of their coursework and attended a one hour training to cover the focal characteristics required for this study. All participants have utilized SNW and were asked to spend ten minutes to identify aspects of six SNW profiles (that were prochosen) that could relate to a specific trait.

The following measures were gathered from the evaluators:

• 25 items from the bipolar adjective checklist (Goldberg,1992) to measure the big-five personality traits.
• An estimate of the individuals IQ [based on the profile being viewed].
• An estimate of the individuals GPA [based on the profile being viewed].

The following measures were gathered from the individuals' who were having their profiles viewed:

• Big-five personality traits from the international personality item pool (IPIP).
• IQ true score from the Wonderlic personnel test.
• Academic performance from the college's registrar.

The results of the study found that SNW displayed a significant positive correlation of inter rater reliability for consciousness  performance based on 378 responses. The Spearman Brown Prophecy formula was used to determine how many raters would be required to obtain an intraclass correlation coefficient of .5.

 It was found that only 2 are required for consciousness/performance and six are required to measure emotional stability and extroversion [in order to achieve a significant level of inter rater reliability].

In regards to the assessment of SNW profiles, it was found that evaluators with higher IQs and higher emotional stability were more accurate in their appraisals. The group of evaluators with high IQ and/or high levels of emotional stability were more successful in identifying conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness and performance.

The study has a variety of limitation since all of the participants were college students. It is suggested that future studies on SNW use participants that are not in an academic and/or utilize individuals with experience in recruitment or selection.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS
Take this study with a grain of salt. Although the results are exciting, the study has little representation of the population and therefore may not be accurate. However, (with the permission of an applicant), hiring companies can obtain assessment results and compare them to the evaluations of SNW profiles. If enough data is collected, statistics may be able to establish reliability and validity for SNW. HR Professionals should never attempt to do this alone unless they have experience/education in validation studies.


The study also identifies that SNW may result in adverse impact. The profiles on these websites contain information pertaining to an individuals age, sex, race, religion and more. With this access to information, an applicant can easily pursue a lawsuit if they feel they are being discriminated against. As HR professionals, we must ensure to avoid collecting/viewing this information. One way to approach this is to have another individual print off the profiles and then black/white-out all the information considered illegal in selection. Overall, it is crucial to be cautious when using these websites in the selection process.

Survey Data and Maintaining Confidentiality

Surveys are powerful tools that can assess the opinions of employees (if done properly). When surveying personnel, it is crucial to emphasize confidentiality to ensure that the answers received are honest and people do censor themselves. Demographics should be asked on an entirely different page to reduce the chances of matching the answers to an employee (although this is difficult if the survey is completed online).

However, the issue arises when a client wants to see the data. It is important that HR professionals and consultants do not provide raw data. All data should be aggregated together to ensure no survey can be matched to an employee. Clients may be insistent on seeing the raw data but it is vital for the survey administrator to stand his/her ground to protect the employees. In addition, only select individuals should have access to the raw data to reduce the probability of exposing information.

It becomes more complex if a survey includes any open-ended questions as these are not easily aggregated. Instead, these questions should be scanned for common messages and then the frequencies should be presented. Direct quotes should be avoided (if possible) as one's writing/speaking style risk be identifiable by the client.

As a survey administrator, our participants must feel comfortable that their comments will not be fed individually but as a mass. Otherwise these employees risk retaliation.

The Reduction of Adverse Impact in an Employment Setting Using a Short-Term Memory Test

SOURCE: Barrett, G.V., Carobine, R.G, Doverspike, D. (1999). The reduction of adverse impact in an employment setting using a short-term memory test. Journal of Business and Psychology, 14(2), 373-377.

SUMMARY BY: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

Previous research has shown that cognitive ability and achievement tests can result in a significant level of adverse impact when used in an employment context. There is approximately one standard deviation of difference between African American and Caucasian participants (Hartigan & Wigdor, 1989; Humphreys, 1988; Jensen, 1980 as cited in Barrett, Carobine, and Doverspike, 1999). Barett, Carobine and Doverspike (1999) suggest that there have been little indications of how adverse impact can be reduced in these tests. When conducting their preliminary research, the authors found no previous studies  examining short-term selection test as a selection tool and the possibility of adverse impact.

The researchers Utilized 1,423 candidates applying for a Police Officer opening in Midwestern city. 415 identified as African American and 1008 as Caucasian. The participants were matched based on gender, education and age which produced 367 pairs of African American and Caucasian candidates. Participants were administed a short-term memory test that was divided into two sections of 21 items. Candidates were shown 21 pictures that were associated with numbers. On the following page, the candidates were provided with the same pictures rearranged (without numbers) and asked to rank them. They were given four minutes to complete this exercise and could not return to the first page.

A reading comprehension test was also administered with 9 reading passages that were followed by 3 questions. Each question had a choice of five options. Participants had 35 minutes to complete this portion.

Results showed that differences existed between African American (M = 20.39, SD = 9.86) and Caucasian (M = 24.37, SD = 10.38) participants, t(1422) = 5.78, p <.01. African Americans (M = 19.99, SD = 4.87) and Caucasians (M = 23.44, SD = 3.72) also differed significantly in reading comprehension, t(1422) = 11.88, p <.01.

The authors attempted to validate their hypothesis by stating that the differences (in regards to race) were smaller when the results were analyzed using matched samples (i.e. removing age, gender, education). In reality, the  means and standard deviations only changed by a few decimal points and the results of the t-test continued showed significant difference. Therefore, short-term memory test  do experience adverse impact similarly to achievement and cognitive assessments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS
As much as I hate to admit it, adverse impact will continue to exist in society. Adverse impact will never disappear entirely but HR professionals should attempt to utilize assessments that minimize it. If any selection tool is found to discriminative among any protected class, then an employer must be prepared to show that the test is valid. A valid test ensures that high score on the test will predict success in the position. Criterion validity is the best approach to prove this. Criterion validity can be demonstrated by correlating test scores to performance appraisal scores. This can be tested on current employees or future candidates. It is recommended that HR professionals hire a statistician to analyze the validity.

When it comes down to it, hiring managers must ask,"is this test essential? Is it going to prove that this candidate will be more successful in the positions?" If the answer is no, then the test should not be part of the selection process. In this context, does short term memory predict success on the job? It would depend on the job and qualities required but it does show adverse impact.


Picture from http://www.mybrainx.com/my-short-term-memory.gif

Lady Gaga as a Model for Human Resource Professionals

Eleven time winner of the MTV music video awards, Lady Gaga, has taken the music industry by storm. With only one album, the artist has won about 56 awards including two Grammys. The new icon inspires todays youth through her youthful energy, shocking outfits and one of a kind performances. Did you know that this artist embraces many of the roles required to work in human resources? How does the music industry relate to human resources? Below are a variety of examples:

LADY GAGA STANDS OUT. At the award shows and concerts, people watch to see what outrageous outfit Lady Gaga will appear in. In regards to human resources, Lady Gaga shows us that it is important for us to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the organization. When an employee sees us, he/she should immediately know that we work in the HR department.

LADY GAGA EMBRACES DIVERSITY. Since the beginning of her career, Lady Gaga has been vocal in regards to equality. She not only made a speech at multiple gay-advocate events but continues to embrace this message. As a HR professional, there is no need to become ordained as a minister to marry gay couples (which Lady Gaga pursued for her gay fans) but we should embrace that diversity is essential for an organization's operation and growth. In addition, we need to be advocate that no employee deserves work be in an uncomfortable environment or experience any type discrimination.

LADY GAGA HAS BEEN TOURING NON-STOP FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. Like Lady Gaga, HR professionals work hard with little recognition from employees. We are required to wear multiple hats and be experts in employee relations, organizational development, compensation and/or more. In addition, it is vital for us to remain updated on new studies or legislations. However, there are always employees who believe that the HR department is not assisting the organization.

THE PAPARAZZI SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON GAGA. Like most celebrities, Lady Gaga has no privacy and she is on the cover of every tabloid. Her fashion and behavior has inspired thousands to act just like her. As HR professionals, we need to model ideal organizational behavior. For instance, if an organization is issuing a company-wide change, HR professionals should communicate their support of the change and embrace it in their job. If an HR professional was not supportive of the change, it is likely that most employees would not take the upcoming change seriously.

LADY GAGA SINGS "BAD ROMANCE". As HR professionals, bad romance is not a new concept for us. Unfortunately, we often have to be the bearer of bad news and inform employees of write-ups or terminations. This puts us in uncomfortable situations that could potential hurt our personal and professional relationships. None of us enjoy this type of work but there are times when it is essential.


There you have it. Proof that Lady Gaga embraces what many HR professionals embody today. She is not only a fashion icon, phenomenal singer, talented lyricist and artist but also a role model. Although her actions are far more extreme than the responsibilities of HR professionals, it is clear that similarities are present.

Gender Schemas: A Cognitive Explanation of Discrimination of Women in Technology

Source: Lemons, M.A., Parzinger, M. (2007). Gender schemas: a cognitive explanation of discrimination of women in technology. J Bus Psychol, 22, 91-98.

Summary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A. 

Gender schema theory suggests that gender expectations are based on previous experiences with role expectations for each biological sex. The schemas are developed as a result of observing common behaviors among sexes repeatively. It is suggested that humans develop these schemas to assist in interpreting new information for the future. The Gender Schema Theory derives from the social learning theory and the cognitive-development features (Bem, 1981). Social learning theory states that children internalize the a framework of each sex based on the social practices observed in a culture. The cognitive-development theory proposes that once a child understands the framework, he/she begins to develop  a self-identity based on sex expectations.

According to Guten and Cohen (1992), employees are more aware of their coworker's sex than any other attribute (i.e. religion, race, age, etc.). Between 1996 and 2002 there was only a slight increase from 25% to 25.3% for the percentage of IT professionals that are women (ITAA,2003). There is also a difference in performance in regards to gender. When a man succeeds, it is because he is skilled but a woman who has the same success is often perceived as luck. Furthermore, when a man fails, it is a result of bad luck. However when a woman fails, it is a result of inability (Deaux & Emswiller, 1974; Feldman-Summer & Keisler, 1974); Taynor & Deaux, 1973). Given these current hurdles for women, the researchers of this study decide to survey Syster members about their experiences as a female professional in the IT industry compared to the general working woman.

218 responses were obtained from working professionals (that were female) and 85 males in college studying an IT related major. The male responses were only utilized to obtain a comparison of the gender schemas for men. Participants answered questions from the Helreigh's Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS), which contains 15 items that evaluate one's perceptions of the rights and roles that women should have.

Results found that women in IT (M =3.45, SD =.30) were perceived to have less gender schemas than women in general (M = 4.07, SD = .57), F(3,491) = 108.40, p < .01. Men in IT (M =3.43, SD = .628) also had lower levels of gender schemas than men in general (M = 3.71, SD = .58), F(27,175) = 58.23, p < .01. This suggest that the IT industry enforces traditional gender stereotypes [for both sexes] more often than other industries. Encouraging others to adhere to the traditional gender-schemas increases the probability of stereotyping of woman (which was described in the second paragraph) and their behaviors that can result in dissatisfaction or stress in the workplace. Women in the IT industry continue to battle the negative stereotypes that other industries have overcome. 

The study has a variety of limitations. First off, more participants are required to make a general assumption of the overall IT industry. In addition, the males that participated in this study were not working professionals and therefore their experiences were limited. Finally, the researchers did not conduct a statistical analysis to determine if gender-scheming differed between men and women within IT. I would have found that information beneficial when reading an article with a title like this.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

This study focuses mainly on the IT industry. Therefore it could provide helpful insight to HR representatives within IT companies. Gender stereotyping still exists and to overcome it, employees need to be educated on inappropriate behavior and corrected when they portray these negative stereotypes. Diversity training can be helpful by starting all employees on a clean slate and enforcing the notion that all individuals can perform equally well regardless of attributes. Training alone is not enough because comments that occur in meetings or side-conversations can set a tone that permits the gender stereotyping.

Although more prominent in the IT industry, this reveals to HR professionals that the need to battle sexism still exists. Organizations need to emphasize that anyone can achieve with the right attitude and hard work. Walk around your office and listen to conversations. Do you hear comments that could enforce negative gender-schemas?

Future Employment Selection Methods: Evaluating Social Networking Web Sites

Source: Kluemper, D.H., Rosen, P.A. (2009). Future employment selection methods: evaluating social networking web sites. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(6), 567-590.

Summary by: Ian B. Mondrow, M.A.

Social networking websites (SNWs) aim to develop communities of people that share similar interests or desire to learn more about others' interests. These sites also provides a presentation of one's network of friends. With their increased popularity, they have began to become a popular tool in the world of recruitment and selection. In a study by Shea and Wesley (2006) it was found that 50% of employers [that attend job fairs]  and 20-25% of hiring managers (Taylor, 2007; NACE, 2006) utilize SNWs and search engines to screen candidates. However, there is little research on the validity and reliability of SNW. This is crucial to prove to the Legal Justice System that the tool accurately predicts success in the position.

A variety of traits have been found to be a successful predictor of job performance; primarily consciousness. Extroversion agreeableness, and neuroticism have also been found to have positive relationships to job performance. Finally, openness have been a successful predictor of training performance (but not job performance). Kluempter & Rosen (2009) set out to determine if SNW can be use to appropriately measure these traits as well as intelligence and performance.

63 students that were currently enrolled in an employment selection course were chosen to participate in the study. These individuals were trained on employee selection as a result of their coursework and attended a one hour training to cover the focal characteristics required for this study. All participants have utilized SNW and were asked to spend ten minutes to identify aspects of six SNW profiles (that were pre-chosen) that could relate to a specific trait.

Picture was extracted from:
http://www.penn-olson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/social-media2.png

The following measures were gathered from the evaluators:

• 25 items from the bipolar adjective checklist (Goldberg,1992) to measure the big-five personality traits.
• An estimate [based on the profile being viewed] of the individuals IQ.
• An estimate  [based on the profile being viewed] of the individuals GPA.

The following measures were gathered from the individuals' who were having their profiles viewed:

• Big-five personality traits from the international personality item pool (IPIP).
• IQ true score from the Wonderlic personnel test.
• Academic performance from the college's registrar.

The results of the study found that SNW displayed a significant positive correlation of inter rater reliability for consciousness  performance based on 378 responses. The Spearman Brown Prophecy formula was used to determine how many raters would be required to obtain an intraclass correlation coefficient of .5.It was found that only 2 are required for consciousness/performance and six are required to measure emotional stability and extroversion [in order to achieve a significant level of inter rater reliability].

In regards to the assessment of SNW profiles, it was found that evaluators with higher IQs and higher emotional stability were more accurate in their appraisals. The group of evaluators with high IQ and/or high levels of emotional stability were more successful in identifying conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness and performance.

The study has a variety of limitation since all of the participants were college students. It is suggested that future studies on SNW use participants that are not in an academic and/or utilize individuals with experience in recruitment or selection.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS
Take this study with a grain of salt. Although the results are exciting, the study has little representation of the population and therefore may not be accurate. However, (with the permission of an applicant), hiring companies can obtain assessment results and compare them to the evaluations of SNW profiles. If enough data is collected, statistics may be able to establish reliability and validity for SNW. HR Professionals should never attempt to do this alone unless they have experience/education in validation studies.


The study also identifies that SNW may result in adverse impact. The profiles on social media websites contain information pertaining to age, sex, race, religion and more. With this access to information, an applicant can easily pursue a lawsuit if they feel they are being discriminated against. As HR professionals, we must ensure to avoid collecting/viewing this information. One suggested way to approach this is to have another individual print off the profiles and then black/white-out all the information considered illegal in selection. Overall, it is crucial to be cautious when using these websites in the selection process.