When Job Opportunities Go Up in Smoke

Abstract

Employment discrimination based on job-unrelated factors (e.g., gender, smoking status) can lead to unfair outcomes for applicants. In the present study, 400 Canadian and US hiring professionals evaluated a candidate’s resume and then cybervetted their social media page which disclosed their gender and smoking status (i.e., cigarette smoker, vaper, or nonsmoker). Revised evaluations post-cybervetting were lower for applicants discovered as smokers and vapers than for nonsmokers, but vapers were perceived as negatively as smokers. Negative evaluations for cigarette smokers depended on raters’ attitudes toward smoking. Applicant gender moderated the effect of vaping but not smoking on evaluations. Managers’ gender role beliefs did not play a moderating role. These findings indicate the need for improvements in cybervetting practices used in hiring.

Social media profiling: The influence of personal and professional social media content on hiring ratings

“…More recently, studies have demonstrated that some of the most negatively perceived SM content includes discriminatory comments, alcohol and drug use, sharing confidential information, opinionatedness, and disparaging an employer (Corbeil et al, 2024;Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Tews et al, 2020). In contrast, positive SM content includes information that supports qualifications, accentuates skills and professional connections, and highlights positive comments about the applicant from others (Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Roulin & Stronach, 2022;Tews et al, 2020).…”

Social media profiling: The influence of personal and professional social media content on hiring ratings

“…More recently, studies have demonstrated that some of the most negatively perceived SM content includes discriminatory comments, alcohol and drug use, sharing confidential information, opinionatedness, and disparaging an employer (Corbeil et al, 2024;Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Tews et al, 2020). In contrast, positive SM content includes information that supports qualifications, accentuates skills and professional connections, and highlights positive comments about the applicant from others (Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Roulin & Stronach, 2022;Tews et al, 2020).…”

Social media profiling: The influence of personal and professional social media content on hiring ratings

“…More recently, studies have demonstrated that some of the most negatively perceived SM content includes discriminatory comments, alcohol and drug use, sharing confidential information, opinionatedness, and disparaging an employer (Corbeil et al, 2024;Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Tews et al, 2020). In contrast, positive SM content includes information that supports qualifications, accentuates skills and professional connections, and highlights positive comments about the applicant from others (Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Roulin & Stronach, 2022;Tews et al, 2020).…”

Social media profiling: The influence of personal and professional social media content on hiring ratings

“…More recently, studies have demonstrated that some of the most negatively perceived SM content includes discriminatory comments, alcohol and drug use, sharing confidential information, opinionatedness, and disparaging an employer (Corbeil et al, 2024;Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Tews et al, 2020). In contrast, positive SM content includes information that supports qualifications, accentuates skills and professional connections, and highlights positive comments about the applicant from others (Hartwell & Campion, 2020;Roulin & Stronach, 2022;Tews et al, 2020).…”