Filling in Vacancies through Social Media: An Exploration of LinkedIn’s Perceived and Actualized Affordances in Recruitment

Filling in Vacancies through Social Media:

An Exploration of LinkedIn’s Perceived and

Actualized Affordances in Recruitment

Tessa Biesheuvel S3524159

t.biesheuvel@student.rug.nl Thesis Master Change Management

MSc Business Administration: Change Management Faculty of Economics and Business

University of Groningen

Empirical case study: Theory building Supervisor: dr. I. Maris-de Bresser

Co-assessor: dr. J. Q. Dong June 24th_{, 2019}

Abstract

In the current labour market, it becomes more challenging for organisations to attract candidates to their vacancies. This paper focuses on the theory of IT affordances, examining how LinkedIn helps recruiters to meet their recruitment goals. The aim of this research is to extend our understanding of the use of LinkedIn in recruitment by exploring and theorizing on the LinkedIn affordances of visibility and association, introduced by Treem and Leonardi (2012), and the actualization process of these affordances. To answer the research question, an empirical case study, comprising fifteen semi-structured interviews at an organisation, was conducted. This study indicates that the affordances of visibility and association are perceived by the use of LinkedIn in recruitment. Expanding Treem and Leonardi’s (2012) insights by illustrating that these affordances are actually made out of bundles of affordances, supporting Strong, et al. (2014). Findings illustrate that a total of six sub-affordances is perceived, from which three were partly actualized and three affordances non-actualized. In other words, none of these affordances was fully non-actualized. The explanation for this lies in the current limited use of the social media platform, due to a fivefold of reasons: a lack of knowledge, routine use, not having a strategy, no prioritization among the daily work practices, and passive system use. The limited actualization of affordances limits recruiters to meet their recruitment goals.

Key words: IT features, technological features, recruitment goals, imbrication, perceived

Table of Content

Abstract ……….… 1

Introduction ………..……… 3

Literature Review ………..……… 5

E-HRM and the Use of Social Media in Recruitment ………. 5

IT Affordance Theory ………...……….. 7

System Use and the Actualization of Affordances ……….……… 11

Towards a Conceptual Model ……… 12

Methodology ……… 12

Research Design ……… 12

Data Collection ……….. 13

Data Analysis ……… 15

Research Design Quality ………... 16

Results ……….. 16

The Market ……… 17

Goals in Using LinkedIn in Recruitment ……….. 17

Perceived Affordances of LinkedIn ………... 18

Perceived Constraints of LinkedIn ……… 22

System Use and the Actualization of Affordances ……… 24

Summary of Findings ……… 26

Discussion and Conclusion ………. 27

Theoretical Contributions ……….. 30

Managerial Implications ……… 31

Limitations and Future Research ………... 31

Conclusion ……… 32

References ……… 32

Appendices ……….. 38

Appendix A: Interview Template ………. 38

Appendix B: Codebook ………. 40

Introduction

The market around us is changing. While in 2014, the Netherlands coped with high unemployment rates of 8.8 percent (CBS, 2014), today, a peaking amount of vacancies becomes available. Given the numbers, companies are not able to recruit candidates for all these positions (UWV, 2018). On a yearly basis, from the 1,2 million new vacancies that become available, over 64 thousand vacancies are not filled (CBS, 2018). As a result, the market is shifting from a long-term employment within a single employer market, towards short-term positions with a lot of movements (Leidner, Gonzalez, & Koch, 2018). This could result in a higher resource utilization, workload and stress, and lower production rates and employee loyalty. Moreover, the fear of not being able to fill all vacancies, could negatively affect the organisational productivity (Leidner, et al., 2018). Therefore, companies need to respond to this environmental change.

Companies are in need to either implement a new recruitment strategy or adjust their traditional strategy by adding new goals to it. As a result, more companies engage in social media usage. This arguably proves to enhance or complement a comprehensive recruitment strategy in, among other things, efficiency and effectivity (Andrews, 2012; Dutta, 2018). Globally, LinkedIn is the most used social networking site for recruitment (Ollington, Gibb, & Harcourt, 2013; Kluemper, 2013; Karl & Peluchette, 2013). However, empirical research on LinkedIn in recruitment, and on its advantages and disadvantages, is limited and scarce (Zide, Elman & Shahani-Denning, 2014; Roulin & Bangerter, 2013; Burton-Jones & Grange, 2012). Therefore, there is need for empirical research on the use, benefits, and added value of LinkedIn for recruitment.

IT features of LinkedIn, the user goals, and the interaction between both. This is done from the perspective of the theory of IT affordances (Hutchby, 2001; Treem & Leonardi, 2012).

The IT affordance theory illustrates that, to understand the use of technology, technological features should be seen in a complex environment with social and interactional circumstances, instead of technology as a whole (Orlikowski, 2010). The organisational context in which a technology is placed, influences the affordances the technology possesses (Hutchby, 2001). According to Gaver (1991), affordances are “the strengths and weaknesses of technologies with respect to the possibilities they offer the agents that might use them” (pp. 79). So, in other words, affordances refer to the possibilities that users have when using a technology.

Treem and Leonardi (2012) found four social media affordances: visibility, association, persistency, and edibility. Two affordances, visibility and association, stand out in recruitment. First, it is important to ensure visibility to attract potential candidates. Second, it is important to attract candidates with the right person-organisation fit suitable to organisational vacancies. Therefore, these two affordances are taken as starting point in this research. Since LinkedIn is a classical social media platform, LinkedIn possess these affordances as well. The question remains whether organisations perceive these affordances, and if they do, how they actualize these. This captures the main focus of this research.

Therefore, the following research question will be answered “How does the use of LinkedIn

help organisations to meet their recruitment goals?”. Based upon this research question, the aim of

this study is to become more knowledgeable about which affordances of LinkedIn are perceived by organisations that use the platform in recruitment. Also, whether the affordances of visibility and association, introduced by Treem and Leonardi (2012), are among them. If so, the question remains, if and how these affordances are actualized in their work to attract candidates.

To meet this aim, four research objectives have been formulated. As the IT affordance theory illustrates, the interaction between IT features and the user goals, influence the affordances LinkedIn possesses. Therefore, the first objective is to gain insight in the recruitment goals of the organisation. In turn, the second objective is to explore and provide an overview of the features incorporated in the design of LinkedIn. The second objective also shows its value by explaining how a system is used. Based upon these findings, the third objective is to examine which affordances are actually perceived by the organisation, and whether visibility and association are among them (Hutchby, 2001). Finally, the fourth objective examines which affordances are actually actualized.

affordances in recruitment. By doing so, the gap on how IT affordances of LinkedIn are perceived and actualized in a concrete research setting and real-life context, is addressed. Finally, additional research on LinkedIn is provided, given that current literature for LinkedIn in recruitment is limited and scare (Zide, et al., 2014; Roulin & Bangerter, 2013).

Organisations cope with issues with regard to selecting and employing candidates to their vacancies (UWV, 2018). This research shows if, and how, the use of LinkedIn helps organisations to find and attract potential candidates. The findings provide guidance in designing effective recruitment strategies and in their overall practices to leverage the functional potential value of LinkedIn in the organisation, which tends to be underutilized in most organisation (Jasperson, et al., 2005).

In the remainder of this report, the literature section reviews existing research on e-HRM and social media in recruitment, Also, on the IT affordance theory, system use and the actualization of affordances. The methods section describes how this research is conducted within the given timeframe. Then, the results are elaborated on and the conclusions are drawn. In the conclusion section, managerial- and practical implications, as well as research limitation and suggestions for further research are provided.

Literature Review

In this chapter, relevant theories of this study are reviewed. The first section elaborates on e-HRM and the use of social media in recruitment, where after the second section the theory of IT affordances illustrates. Sub-sections focus on social media affordances, technological features of LinkedIn, and user’s goals. The final section elaborates on the system use and the actualization of affordances. The conceptual model of this study is presented in this section too.

E-HRM and the Use of Social Media in Recruitment

technology in HR, in this research the Broughton, et al. (2013) definition is used given the straightforward and comprehensive explanation.

Currently, many organisations use social media in recruitment. Social network sites are, behind the major search engines, the most visited sites on the internet (Ronn, 2007). Still, there is a lack of consistency among social media definitions. Ybarra and Mitchell (2008) define social networking sites as: “Sites that allow users to create profiles or web pages around themselves” (pp. 351). This definition seems straightforward, but other research shows this definition is not all-inclusive. Boyd and Ellison (2007) define social network sites as: “Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within system” (pp. 2). As some find this definition already too broad, Bullinger, Hallerstede, Renken, Soeldner, and Moeslein (2010) question the extensiveness of this definition. They argue that this definition only focusses on (1) identity, (2) communication, and (3) information, but leaves out the aspect of collaboration. Bullinger, et al. (2010) suggest extending the definition as follows: “(…) and (4) collaborate with other users within the system” (pp. 8). Given the complexity to define social networking sites, this research uses the definition by Bullinger, et al. (2010), given the comprehensive view on social networking sites.

Joos (2008) indicates that e-HRM has not replaced traditional recruitment approaches. Social media in recruitment is rather used as supplement to the existing recruitment process. In other words, the traditional, labour intensive approach is used in combination with a technology-intensive approach (Florkowski, & Olivas-Lujan, 2006). Social media in recruitment proved to enhance or complement a comprehensive strategy, by offering a stream of new, continuously evolving technological tools (Andrews, 2012). It offers cost-savings, speed, efficiency, the ability to target and attract specific candidates to the company, and improves external communication (Broughton, et al., 2013). Moreover, social media in recruitment enables a broad and global reach, eliminating the traditional limitation of geographical reach (Andrews, 2012).

Globally, LinkedIn is the most used business-related social networking site in recruitment (Kluemper, 2013; Karl & Peluchette, 2013; Broughton, et al., 2013). A wide variety of users, within different age groups, explore the possibilities within LinkedIn (Wolf, 2011). Where individuals mainly use LinkedIn for self-promotion and the maintenance of professional contacts (Skeels, & Grudin, 2009; Lenhard, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010), companies use the platform to collaborate in new ways with their customers, business partners, and suppliers (Culnan, McHugh & Zubillaga, 2010). About 90 percent of the recruiters use LinkedIn to search and attract candidates (Ollington, et al., 2013). However, empirical research on LinkedIn in recruitment still remains limited and scarce. (Zide, et al., 2014). There is a lack of research on how LinkedIn adds value in recruitment. Research shows a need for an extensive examination of the advantages and disadvantages of professional social networking sites in reruitment (Roulin & Bangerter, 2013; Burton-Jones & Grange, 2012). Therefore, this study examines LinkedIn in recruitment from an IT affordance perspective, with a focus on the IT features of LinkedIn, the user’s goals, and the interaction between these two.

IT Affordance Theory

Years ago, Gibson (1979) introduced the affordances theory by explaining how animals perceive an object. Gibson (1979) argued that animals perceive action potentials of an object instead of its abstract physical properties. In other words, animals perceive what they can do with an object. Complementarily, Norman (1998) captures affordances as: “the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the things could possibly be used (pp. 9)”. Gaver (1991) and Hutchby (2001) have applied the theory of affordances to the study of technologies. The IT affordance theory explains that from the interaction between the IT and the users, affordances also occur. In relation to technology, affordances are, “the strengths and weaknesses of technologies with respect to the possibilities they offer the agents that might use them (Gaver, 1991, pp. 79). In other words, the possibilities users have when using a technology. This research investigates the meaning LinkedIn attains in recruitment by focusing on the relation between recruiters, as users, and LinkedIn, as IT.

interaction between technology and users impacts the perceived action potentials, the affordances. Since every user is different, different affordances can be perceived.

According to McGrenere and Ho (2000) there are three fundamental properties of an affordance: “(1) an affordance exists relative to the action capabilities of a particular actor, (2) the existence of an affordance is interdependent of the actor’s ability to perceive it, and (3) an affordance does not change as the needs and goals of the actor change” (pp. 1). This third element remains questionable. Although IT features are common to each user, which action potentials are perceived by the user is determined by the interactional context. When the goals of the user change, this could affect the actions and impact the context., and therefore, the perceived affordances can differ per user (Hutchby, 2001; Treem & Leonardi, 2012).

Some affordances interrelate and interact with each other, and Strong, et al., (2014) illustrates that these affordances can be bundled. A bundle of interrelating affordances could enhance a main affordance. A main affordance is more-advanced, demanding a higher level of thinking to activate this affordance (Bygstad, Munkvold, & Volkoff, 2016; Strong, et al., 2014; Leidner, et al., 2018). In other words, a group of interrelating affordances (e.g. transmitting a cultural message, exposure, promotion) could together enhance a main affordance (e.g. visibility). Treem and Leonardi (2012) illustrate four affordances of social media in recruitment, which are elaborated on in the next section.

Social media affordances. Treem and Leonardi (2012) illustrate four affordances of social media, namely: visibility, association, persistency, and edibility. As indicated, this research explicitly focusses on the first two affordances of visibility and association.

Visibility. According to Treem and Leonardi (2012), “Social media affords users the ability to make their behaviours, knowledge, preferences, and communication network connections that were once invisibly (or at least very hard to see) visible to others in the organisation” (pp. 150). In other words, social media allows users to strategically present themselves to other users. Social media positively affects the amount of effort someone needs to invest to see and locate information. In turn, this positively affects the visibility. LinkedIn, as classical social media channel, also affords its users to make themselves visible. This by enabling network connections, and by creating a personal profile based on professional information, -experiences, and educational history (Broughton, Higgings, Hicks, & Cox, 2011; Gerard, 2012; Papacharissi, 2009; Culnan, et al., 2010).

about the existence of a company, referring to the organisational visibility. Therefore, organisational visibility is also taken into consideration in this research.

Association. According to Treem and Leonardi (2012), the affordance of association can be divided into two types, namely: a social tie and the association between an individual and information. First, a social tie is the relation between two individuals. Social media enables this affordance by, for instance, allowing communication exchange through private messaging. Second, the association between an individual and information. By posting or sharing contributions on, for instance, LinkedIn, this enables an individual to relate himself to a piece of information that they have created, or they recognize themselves in. In other words, social media enables a bridge between individuals, supplements existing relationships and helps to build a greater sense of community among individuals (Treem & Leonardi, 2012).

In recruitment, association is important. In this research, a social tie includes the relation between the candidate and employees of the organisation. This to attract candidates with the right person-organisation fit. Social media enables recruiters to evaluate this fit based upon values, goals, connections, and comments of the individual on social media, rather than knowledge, skills and abilities (Berkelaar & Buzzanell, 2014; Kluemper, 2013; Zide, et al., 2014; Roulin & Bangerter, 2013). Also, the tie between an individual and information, is perceived in a wider context. Posting and sharing information on social media, enables organisational employees to illustrate their organisational culture. Based upon this information, candidates can possibly relate themselves leading to a higher level of association.

To experience affordances as user, the process of imbrication is important (Leonardi, 2011). The process of imbrication refers to the moment that the material and human agency come together. So, the moment that the user actually starts using an IT. In this research, when the recruiter starts using LinkedIn to attract candidates. From the moment imbrication, users could experience the affordances of visibility and association, or other affordances. The process of imbrication determines the actions users take towards reaching their goals, and whether the IT constrains or affords the possibly to reach goals (Leonardi, 2011). In turn, these actions impact whether affordances become actualized or not. Given the importance of the interaction between the IT and the user, the next sections illustrate the technological features of LinkedIn and user’s goals.

connections, and sponsored advertising possibilities (Gerard, 2012; Culnan, et al., 2010; Zide, et al., 2014; Karl & Peluchette, 2013; Kluemper, 2013).

According to Griffith (1999), there are two dimensions in which features vary, namely: (1) concrete vs. abstract features, and (2) core vs. tangential features. First, the continuum from concrete to abstract refers to “the degree of verifiability – that is, some features may be easily observed, whereas others may be verifiable only with special knowledge or tools” (Griffith, 1999, pp. 476). Concrete features can be described and are available for all users using the technology. On the other side, abstract features exist in the heads of people and therefore, differ among users (Weick, 1990). To use abstract features, more knowledge about the technology is needed. Because of this, new concrete features are more likely to be noticed than new abstract features are (Griffith, 1999). The second continuum illustrates that not all features are as important as others. Some features are core to the technology, whereas others are tangential (Griffith, & Northcraft, 1994). With regard to LinkedIn, building a network enhances opportunities to find jobs, people and other business opportunities (Broughton, et al., 2011; Broughton, et al., 2013). Therefore, this feature is considered a core feature. However, there are also features such as page notifications, which are less important to the platform. These are seen as tangential features. For each feature used by the organisation in this research, it is examined whether they support the main affordances of visibility and association.

User’s goals. Affordances derive from the imbrication between material and human agency. This section focuses on the human agency, or in other words, on the user’s goals in recruitment.

As part of their strategy, every organisation has goals supporting the organisational mission and vision. According to Rueschemeyer, et al. (2013), a goal is “a cognitive representation of a desired end-point that impacts evaluations, emotions, and behaviour” (pp. 1182). In other words, a goal illustrates what an organisation is aiming to achieve, a desired situation. Goals determine the outcome the organisation perceives. For instance, when there are no clear recruitment goals (e.g. attracting candidates with a high fit), the outcome just occurs and is not directed towards a desired end-point. In this case, there is a chance of not achieving the desired situation (e.g. having a lot of unsuitable candidates responding to a vacancy). This illustrates the importance of setting goals.

While working for the same organisation in the same organisational context, individuals or groups can set different goals. Organisations attempt to shape human actions towards a particular goal by generalizing and institutionalizing (Weick, Sutcliff & Obstfeld, 2005). Individuals working for the same department, together share cues in a frame of institutional logics. They create a group identity that determines how they deal with situations (Jensen, Kjaergaard & Svejvig, 2009). Therefore, every departments can illustrate a different set of action towards reaching a goal.

orientation of the HR department, and improving efficiency (Parry & Tyson, 2011; Martin, Reddington, & Alexander, 2008; Lepak & Snell, 1998; Ruel, et al., 2004). However, e-HRM has shown to impact the goals of the recruitment department (Parry & Tyson, 2011; Andrews, 2012). Traditional goals are extended with goals from a more technological point of view, such as accessing a wider range of candidates or targeting niche candidates (Broughton, et al., 2013). Social media can help to meet these recruitment goals (Andrews, 2012; Burton-Jones & Grange, 2012), but the question remains how. This research focusses on the interaction between goals and the use of features of LinkedIn, instead of just on the outcomes of e-HRM (Parry & Tyson, 2011).

When features and goals imbricate, this leads to perceived affordances for users. However, a perceived affordance does not mean that the affordance is also actualized by the employees of the organisation. In other words, perceiving an affordance just means that users recognize that a using certain features of LinkedIn could provide possibilities, or opportunities, that help reach the recruitment goals. In turn, the next section elaborates on the role of system use in the actualization of affordances. The conceptual model of this study is presented in this section too.

System Use and the Actualization of Affordances

As indicated, affordances are the possibilities that technology offers to achieve goals. Perceived affordances are the action potentials that users experience (Leidner, et al., 2018). However, to take advantage of these perceived affordances, affordances should be actualized. According to Strong, et al., (2014), the actualization process are: “The actions taken by actors as they take advantage of one or more affordances through their use of the technology to achieve immediate concrete outcomes in support of organisational goals” (pp. 70). In other words, the actualization of affordances does not occur in an automatic fashion. The actions of users determine whether and which perceived affordances are actualized to support the goals. According to Leidner, et al. (2018), actualized affordances are the outcomes of the actual usage instead of just action potentials.

Towards a Conceptual Model

This research examines how the use of LinkedIn helps recruiters to meet their recruitment goals. To do so, this research investigates whether and which affordances recruiters perceive by the use of LinkedIn in recruitment. And if they do, how their system use impacts the actualization process. Hence, Figure 1 illustrates the different concepts of this research into a conceptual model.

Figure 1: Conceptual framework

As Figure 1 illustrates, this research focuses on the interaction between LinkedIn, and the user’s recruitment goals. When recruiters start using LinkedIn to meet their goals, the process of imbrication occurs. From this process, recruiters perceive affordances and constraints LinkedIn offers them. Perceived affordances are the possibilities that are recognized by the user; however, these perceived affordances are not automatically actualized. The way LinkedIn is used, determines the actualization of these affordances. When the system use is limited, it restricts the actualization process in a way that some affordances might not be actualized. The number of affordances that are actualized by the organisation, determines the outcome the organisation perceives. The outcome refers to whether, and if so, in which way, the use of LinkedIn helps recruiters to meet their recruitment goals.

Methodology

In this chapter the methodological approach for this research is discussed. Research Design

In this research, a case study is conducted, which can be referred to as: “An empirical inquiry about a contemporary phenomenon (e.g. a case), set within its real-world context” (Yin, 2012, pp. 4). In other words, and applied to this research, a case study about the use of LinkedIn in recruitment at a social housing corporation. This approach provides room to explore which affordances of LinkedIn are perceived by recruiters that use LinkedIn in recruitment, and whether the affordances of visibility and association, introduced by Treem and Leonardi (2012), are among them. If so, the question remains, if and how these affordances are actualized in their work to attract potential candidates. A case study allows to explore this phenomenon of interest in depth through posing this “how” question (Yin, 2009). Applied to this research, the case is the use of LinkedIn for recruitment in an organisation, and the unit of analysis is the relation between human agency (recruiters) and material agency (LinkedIn). This unit suits the perspective of the IT affordance theory, which illustrates the importance of the interaction between these two.

Data Collection

To gather data, Lefier was selected, a non-profit social housing corporation. Lefier employs about 400 staff members and owns approximately 30.000 houses in the north of the Netherlands. Lefier is positioned in the housing sector. This sector has faced some significant changes, that resulted in a tight housing market. Although almost every organisation currently faces the challenges of a tight labour market, for companies in the housing sector it is even more difficult to recruit the desired number of candidates. Lefier uses several social media channels, such as: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Their LinkedIn page has about 4000 followers, and, on average, two contributions per month are shared. Recruitment is important for the entire organisation, and therefore, this research is conducted across the entire organisation. This research was carried out from February until June 2019 in Groningen, the Netherlands.

To strengthen this research and to provide a strong substantiation of constructs (Eisenhardt, 1989), this study gathers data through two data collection methods. First, through secondary data from archival documents. Documents were selected and analyzed based upon the search for information related to recruitment, their goals and the use of LinkedIn. The main documents analyzed were the future strategy plan, and the communication strategy plan. Also, their company website has been analyzed. Access to these documents is obtained through the website, the intranet of Lefier, or were provided by the interviewees.

focused on answering the “why” behind subjects and allowing respondents to fully express their viewpoints (Turner, 2010). All interviews followed the same question format with open-ended and neutral questions (Appendix 1). These questions were neutrally asked to minimize biases and to avoid steering results into a desired direction. Also, there was room to probe additional information and questions to enhance flexibility (Creswell & Poth, 2017; Turner, 2010).

Then, potential participants were selected based upon their involvedness in recruitment. This to ensure knowledge about the recruitment goals and the use of LinkedIn for recruitment (Zide, et al., 2014). To acquire participants that were willing to openly and honestly share information, participants were asked, though e-mail, to participate for the interviews. By doing so, they had the choice to turn down the request (Creswell & Poth, 2007). After selecting the respondents, appointments were made by e-mail. Participants were selected from the communication-, and recruitment department. Also, managers for whom recruitment is part of their job were included. Table 1 illustrates the distribution of the interviews in terms of their position. All interviews were anonymous; therefore, each respondent has an informant code. Each informant code consists of the letter L (Lefier) plus a number.

Table 1: Demographic role distribution of interviews

theory of IT affordances, participants were asked for example, “Could you name three advantages of using LinkedIn for recruitment?” or “What are your main reasons for using LinkedIn?”. All interviews were finalized by asking whether the participants had anything else they wanted to address. Data Analysis

After the collection phase, the data were analyzed by method of Eisenhardt (1989). The interviews were transcribed by using audio-recordings of the interviews. First, all transcripts were read through entirely, and subsequently, all transcriptions were coded. According to Miles and Huberman (1994) codes are “efficient data-labeling and data-retrieval devices” (pp. 65). In other words, connecting concepts in groups by use of a label, a code.

The coding process, that was applied to both the primary data from the interviews and the secondary data from archival document, consists of three steps, namely: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. First, all interviews were openly coded. In the open coding process main concepts were identified and labeled (Mortelmans, 2009). This was done by the interviewer herself to ensure a good understanding of what the interviewee was conveying during the interview. Open codes such as lack of knowledge, transmitting a cultural message, and unbounded reach were identified. Second, after conducting, transcribing, and openly coding all fifteen interviews, the axial coding process took place. The comprehensive set of unconnected codes that occurred from the open coding process, were connected in overarching themes (Mortelmans, 2009). Categories were related to their subcategories, and dimensions and relations between codes were drawn. To illustrate this, the codes of lack of knowledge, routine use, no clear strategy, and no priority, together formed the axial code of system use. Other axial codes that occurred were the labour market, recruitment goals, and affordances. During the open coding – and axial coding processes, memos in the form of notes were used (Mortelmans, 2009). This to ensure that relevant connections between concepts would not be missed. Finally, selective coding was performed to link different concepts and codes to the theory (Mortelmans, 2009). For selective coding, the conceptual framework was used as guideline.

Research Design Quality

To assess the quality of the research, the validity and reliability are important. To ensure reliability of the research design, four potential biases are controlled: researcher-, respondent-, circumstances- and instrument biases. In Table 2, these biases are presented, along with the actions that were taken to control them (Van Aken, Berends, & Van der Bij, 2012; Yin, 2009).

Table 2: Potential biases

Also, the internal-, external-, and construct validity were ensured. First, internal validity is especially important for explanatory studies, and in this research guaranteed by using both existing literature and empirical data. Rival explanations were analyzed and referred to, and in the results-chapter models were used to graphically show findings (Yin, 2009). Also, interviews were conducted in one time-period. Second, the external validity was ensured by using data from multiple data sources (Yin, 2009; Aken, et al., 2012). Third, construct validity was guaranteed by checking and reading through all interview transcripts on their validity of information.

Results

The Market

“The market around us is changing”, the sentence we started with in the introduction, and the starting point of this research. With the sentence, “…, companies are not able to recruit employees

for all of these positions”, the problem was further explained. More vacancies become available and

therefore, it becomes harder to attract candidates, something respondents confirmed. “There were

times with around 300 candidates responding to a vacancy. Today, we sometimes are glad to see ten responses, if there are already any” (L3), referring to a strong decrease in responses. “There are challenges in the market. We recognize that it becomes harder to find the right candidates to our vacancies” (L1). Therefore, two reasons are mentioned. First, because there are less responses and

therefore less respondents to choose from. Second, because most qualified people are already in a job, “Sometimes people respond to our vacancy, because they are currently job-hopping from job to

job, desiring stability. Then I always ask myself, why is this the case? Currently, there are many jobs available, so that should not be needed. Then I really start doubting what could be the reason for it”

(L4). Especially the more specialist functions are hard to recruit candidates for, “It definitely becomes

harder to recruit, especially for positions in the higher pay scales, for example people working with IT” (L15). Concluding, there is no doubt whether this problem is experienced by Lefier. There are

challenges finding and attracting potential candidates, for which LinkedIn could be a solution. Goals in Using LinkedIn in Recruitment

Currently, Lefier uses different recruitment channels to aid the conventional recruitment process. Among them, LinkedIn is seen as indispensable. According to respondents, there are four main recruitment goals at Lefier, namely: accessing a wide range of candidates, candidates with the right fit, candidates with the desired competencies, and more general, presenting a favourable image.

To access a wide range of candidates. One common recruitment goal in a technology-intensive approach is accessing a wide range of candidates. Respondents illustrate two ways to do so. First, by attracting new potential from the market with a fresh look, “Sometimes it is valuable to

attract people with a fresh look on the processes, someone who does not know the branch yet. Why? Because they look at the processes with a critical view and that could help us to improve” (L4).

Second, by attracting candidates that are willing to develop into other positions in the organisation. “At the moment, the labour market is tight, and therefore it becomes more important that the vital

employees already working at Lefier, develop themselves into new positions” (L11), illustrating this.

To attract candidates with the desired competencies. Second, Lefier aims to find candidates with the right competencies. “At the end it is about attracting the best person for the

position. That person needs to fit to the organisation, but also have the right knowledge and competencies” (L14), and “When I search for candidates, the work experience is not as important as the competencies someone possesses. Someone needs to be enthusiastic and willing” (L10),

illustrating this. Next to being willing and enthusiastic, respondents recognize several other competencies a candidate needs to possess, namely: being customer oriented, ambitious, proactive, and initiative. Related to the previous discussed recruitment goal of accessing wide range of candidates, the competency to develop and grow through the organisation is important.

To access candidates with a high fit. Lefier aims to attract candidates with a high fit. Findings illustrate the importance of fit in threefold. First, the person-organisation fit. “We have

organisational goals at Lefier, and it is important that the candidates fit to these core values” (L4),

and “They become the future employees of Lefier, so it is important that they understand and feel the

core values the organisation has” (L1), illustrating this. Employees of the organisation need to

recognize themselves in candidates, and vice versa. Second, the person-team fit, “When all team

members have the same characteristics and competencies, that would not be beneficial for the team. You need to evaluate what is already there, and what competencies are beneficial to add” (L3), and

L14 complementarily states, “In a recruitment process, it really differs what candidates you are

looking for. You need to look at what the team needs at that moment of time and find a suitable candidate accordingly”. Third, person-function fit is important. It is important that recruiters believe

that the candidate is capable to do the function as desired (Lefier, 2017).

To present a favourable image. “It is about profiling your company in the market, that

people notice you are there”, and “As organisation, you could show yourself to the outside world through social media, and I believe this can help to create or strengthen to connection between the inside and outside organisation” (L1), illustrating the goal of presenting a favourable image (Lefier,

2014). For instance, sharing contributions could help to show a company to the outside world. It is interesting to notice that this goal relates to the organisation in general, where upon the other three goals relate to the recruitment process in specific.

Perceived Affordances of LinkedIn

Perceived affordances for the organisation. To attract potential candidates, it is important to be visible in the labour market. LinkedIn allows such visibility to organisations. Findings illustrate that two perceived affordances, that of free promotion and exposure, and that of transmitting a cultural message, together enhance the affordance of visibility. “I could image that you could use LinkedIn to

enhance the visibly of your company. Showing what kind of organisation you are” (L2). Both

affordances allow the recruiter to position the organisation in the market. These affordances are elaborated on in this paragraph.

Free promotion and exposure. “Without having to make any costs, LinkedIn allows us to post

vacancies on our channel and to promote ourselves” (L15), and “Placing a vacancy in a newspaper is expensive, while it does not always result in the desired result. On LinkedIn, we post a vacancy for free and even when there is no response, no costs are made” (L6), illustrate the affordance of free

promotion and exposure. First, the feature of posting contributions enhances this affordance, since contributions can be easily located and viewed by others. “I believe that when people see a

contribution on LinkedIn, people start thinking about the market and organisation, and what opportunities they have in it” (L4). Respondents illustrate that both the diversity of content and the

contribution method is important. “I believe that the diversity of content determines the appearance

of the company. Using a diversified content contributes to the visibly” (L2), illustrating the

importance to post projects, opinions, and dilemma’s, next to just vacancies enhancing the diversity of content. Also, “It would be beneficial to use an alternation between video’s, photos, texts, and

other ways to show a contribution” (L11), illustrating the importance of using a variety of methods.

Second, sharing contributions allows recruiters to broaden their reach leading to enhanced exposure. Finally, statistics indicate whether and which contribution has the desired outcomes. For example, by showing what time it would be most effective to post a contribution. In turn, the affordance of free promotion and exposure allows recruiters to present a favourable image of the organisation, the first recruitment goal mentioned above.

Transmitting a cultural message. “When you intensively follow a user on LinkedIn, you get

to know what kind of person it is. When you follow an organisation, this could also be the case” (L6),

illustrates the second affordance of transmitting a cultural message. This refers to the tone of contributions, to show how employees look at situations. Also, the diversity is important to illustrate the culture. For example, posting a dilemma the organisation is facing, could enhance other users to evaluate on the organisational culture. “By using a variety of content, you could show what kind of

organisation you are. For example, by using a video message, you transmit a part of the organisational culture by showing the employees that currently work for the organisation” (L11).

could respond to a vacancy. Because the candidate chooses the organisation based upon this message, there is a higher chance finding the suitable candidate straight away” (L7). So, transmitting

a cultural message enables recruiters to meet their goal to access a wide range of candidates. Moreover, it helps recruiters in their need to meet the goal to attract candidates with a higher fit.

Perceived affordances for recruitment. Also, it important to find candidates with the right association. Five affordances that allow association are investigated. First, the sub-affordances of low accessibility and trustworthy information both allow recruiters to access information. Second, the sub-affordance of unbounded reach allows recruiters to access a wide range of candidates. Finally, by the sub-affordance of targeting niche candidates, a specific group of candidates can be reached.

Low accessibility. “Although LinkedIn is a business- channel, users can easily create a profile

and post relevant content on their profile” (L6), illustrating low accessibility. Users can create a

profile with personal information, that others can visit. When recruiters evaluate someone’s profile, and believe this person would fit to the organisation, this allows recruiters to send a private message or to reach out by placing a comment. Also, recruiters can search for other users in this person’s network. “I sometimes look at the profile of someone to find information about their work experience

and that kind of things, from which you can take advantage” (L10). So, the sub-affordance of low

accessibility allows recruiters to meet their goal to evaluate on the desired competencies of a potential candidate, and to their fit to the organisation, another recruitment goal mentioned above. On the other side, low accessibility allows users a low entry barrier to create a new account. As a result, more users use the platform enabling recruiters to meet the goal of reaching a broad range of candidates.

Provide trustworthy information. LinkedIn affords users to check the content of peer connections. This allows recruiters to access a high level of trustworthy information. When users place a contribution or update, peers can verify this information, “I believe that when people post

incorrect information, other users in their environment correct this. This is not the case when applicants just upload their curriculum vitae” (L10). In turn, this helps recruiters to meet their goals

of searching for candidates with the right competencies and searching for the right fit.

Unbounded reach. “It is interesting that a vacancy has such a wide reach. When you share

contributions, it could even show up on the other side of the world. There is no restriction” (L1). In

other words, LinkedIn enables recruiters to extend geographically without any local restriction. When there is a lack of local candidates, but others are willing to move for the position, this is beneficial. On LinkedIn, a contribution can be posed and shared to target several networks, “When you post a

vacancy, you have a very broad reach. People start sharing the contribution, and it will spread itself like an oil stain” (L10). In turn, statistics show the number of users that are reached. LinkedIn

their recruitment goal to search, access and reach a wide range of candidates in the first place, and to their goal of attracting a wide range of candidates.

Ability to target niche candidates. Third, the sub-affordance of targeting niche candidates, “It

is not the idea to “shoot with hail” by having a broad reach. Luckily, LinkedIn also offers the ability to reach a specific group” (L7). First, LinkedIn enables recruiters to post and share contributions.

When doing so, recruiters should use a suitable method to target the group they are willing to reach. “You need to question yourself, what is your target group?” (L6), and “When you search for an older

person, although I may not discriminate, a video message might possibly not be as effective as for younger candidates” (L5). Second, LinkedIn enables recruiters to look at and use network

connections, “when we search for a real estate manager, it could be useful to ask the real estate

department to share the contribution, expecting them to have more connections in that area” (L4).

To evaluate on network connections, recruiters can visit their profile, “We could take a quick look to

see what that person is currently doing, and whether that person would be interesting for the organisation” (L1). When the profile fits the desires, it is possible to send a message. Third, LinkedIn

allows recruiters to use a search engine. Altogether, this allows recruiters to meet their goals to find candidates with the right competencies, and to find candidates with the person-organisation fit.

Figure 2 provides a graphical illustration of the perceived affordances, related to the technological features of LinkedIn, and recruitment goals at Lefier. The colours orange, blue and black are used to clearly illustrate which features relate to a specific affordance.

Perceived Constraints of LinkedIn

Next to affordances, LinkedIn also knows its constraints. This section focuses on the constraints of LinkedIn, as perceived by the employees of Lefier.

Perceived constraints of LinkedIn for the organisation. As for the affordances, some constraints are strongly related to the organisation in general, while other constraints are merely related to recruitment practices in specific. This section elaborates on the organisational constraints. Transmitting the wrong message. LinkedIn enables recruiters to transmit a message, although this could also be the wrong message. First, when only success-stories are shared it could be misleading for candidates, “Often, I see that users imply they are doing great, while not sharing any

problems they are facing. Then it seems like they live the perfect world” (L3). While sometimes it is

not bad to tell others about the challenges you deal with and ask them for their help. Second, sometimes recruiters send the wrong message without noticing it. For example, “When vacancies are

posted directly after each other, people could question what is going on in the organisation given that there are that many vacancies available” (L6). Therefore, it is important to be aware of what is

shared, both with regard to the content of contributions and the contribution methods. Third, “It could

happen that organisational employees post something that is not smart to do. It is important to question yourself what you want to share and be aware that it could be associated with the organisation” (L14), illustrating that employees should be aware of their contributions as well. As a

result, transmitting the wrong message limits the ability to present a favourable image of the organisation and could lead to undesired candidates responding to an available position.

Perceived constraints of LinkedIn for recruitment. This section focuses on constraints related to recruitment in specific.

Impure network and information. LinkedIn allows candidates to create a profile and to connect to other users, however, the profile information and network are not always as pure. First, candidates themselves decide which information they share, even when it might not be true. Second, candidates themselves choose which users they invite and accept to their network, “Sometimes you

get invitations for connections of people you do not know. I do not accept them, but when others do, it becomes questionable how pure the network actually is” (L15). In turn, an impure network or

impure information limit recruiters to meet their goal to evaluate on the competencies and fit. Incomplete profile. Given that candidates themselves have to complete their profile, some profiles lack information, “Sometimes people are secretive about their personal information.

Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that there is no phone number on their profile whereupon I cannot contact them” (L12). This limits recruiters in their goal to evaluate on the desired competences

Inability to target niche candidates. Some respondents indicate that the unbounded reach limits them to target niche candidates. Users can place and share a contribution, but they are unable to specifically select who sees the contribution, “There is a risk of getting too much reactions.

Sometimes this is undesired given that it is time consuming, especially when respondents have a low level of association” (L13). Although statistics show some numbers after posting a contribution, it is

hard to direct and select a group. This inability limits recruiters to reach specific candidates with the right fit. This also applies for targeting people with the right competencies.

Inability to control content of other users. Some respondents indicate the inability to control content of peer users. First, users experience it negatively when other users post irrelevant content. By irrelevant content, they refer to personal information not suitable to the business channel. Second, even when users strictly post business-related content, users sometimes feel there is too much content, “I do not always like to read all new information. Sometimes there is just too much information,

especially when you have bigger network. Sometimes people just post a lot of contributions, contaminating the news feed” (L6). Third, it is experienced negatively when users only share success

stories, illustrating a misleading view. In turn, the inability to control content limits recruiters to meet their goal to evaluate on the fit and desired competencies.

Figure 3 provides a graphical illustration of the perceived constraints, related to the technological features of LinkedIn, and recruitment goals at Lefier.

System Use and the Actualization of Affordances.

As illustrated, respondents perceived many affordances and constraints in using LinkedIn. However, perception and actualization are not the same thing. Therefore, there is a need to look at their actual system use at Lefier and its effects. Evidence shows that due to the poor system use, most affordances are not fully actualized.

System use. Evidence shows that the current use of LinkedIn at Lefier is limited. The reasons for this are fivefold. First, respondents indicate a lack of knowledge among employees. “In order to

use more LinkedIn functions, you need to know how to use them. At the moment, I just do not know how to use such features yet” (L3). Also, over the years, LinkedIn keeps adding new functions to the

channel. “It is just really hard to keep up with all de developments and functions LinkedIn offers us” (L7). Second, the use of LinkedIn is seen as routine use, employees do not consciously think about: “LinkedIn is one of the multiple channels we often choose to publish our vacancy on. This is

something we do in an automatic fashion, there is no specific reason for” (L3). Third, there is no

strategy with regard to use of LinkedIn. “It is important that we structure the use of LinkedIn better.

We should consciously think about what features we use and in what way. We can really make some steps, and this could be beneficial for recruitment” (L1). Fourth, LinkedIn is not prioritized among

the daily work practices, “I believe there is a lack of priority throughout the organisation with regard

to the use of LinkedIn” (L7), illustrating this. Finally, “We do not use LinkedIn in an active fashion like other companies do. I would say we are passively waiting for reactions after we have posted something” (L1), illustrating a passive use of LinkedIn in recruitment.

This limited actual use of LinkedIn influences the actualization process of the perceived affordances, with some affordances being only partly actualized, while others were not actualized at all. Below is an overview of these findings.

Partly-actualized affordances. This section illustrates the affordances that are only partly actualized by the employees of Lefier.

Free promotion and exposure. Currently, recruiters only partly actualized the affordance of free promotion and exposure. They post contributions, and sometimes employees share these, however, this is not always the case. “I believe you reach a broad group of users by using your

network connections and actively share contributions” (L14). When employees do not share

contributions, their network is not touched, limiting the enhancement of visibility. Some features, such as using a variety of contributions, to enhance promotion, are currently not used. Looking at the diversity of content, Lefier mainly posts vacancies only, “We often post vacancies. Only sometimes

we additionally add a news article to the channel” (L2). Looking at the variety of methods, most

Unbounded reach. The affordance of unbounded reach is partly actualized. Recruiters do asses a wide range of candidates by posting contributions and targeting their network connections. However, employees of Lefier do not have a strategy of sharing contributions, “We do not ask users

to share a contribution. There is just no strategy to do so. It is all without obligation and employees make their own decision whether to share something” (L13). Moreover, recruiters do not evaluate on

statistics LinkedIn provides them. Since this affordance is only partly actualized, this limits recruiters to access a wide range of candidates.

Provide trustworthy information. The affordance of providing trustworthy information is partly actualized. To actualize this affordance, active participation to correct their peers is required, “When someone posts something that is in the private sphere, people will respond to it and correct

other users (L7)”. Recruiters can verify the curriculum vitae based upon comparing them to the

LinkedIn profile of the candidate, however, this is something they do not do yet. This limits recruiters to meet their goal to search for candidates with the right competencies and fit to the organisation.

Non-actualized affordances. While some affordances are partly actualized, there are also some non-actualized affordances. These affordances are elaborated on in this section.

Transmitting a cultural message. The affordance of transmitting a cultural message is a non-actualized affordance at Lefier. “When we post something other than a vacancy, we mainly inform

about the project, but do not give our opinion” (L7), and “It is not clear for others how we look at things based upon our leadership style” (L7), illustrate this. Currently, employees of Lefier mainly

posts vacancies, without any opinion statements. Also, there is lack of placing comments below contributions that would enhance the actualization process. Therefore, this affordance does not contribute to the goal of presenting a favourable image. Moreover, this limits recruiters to access a wider range of candidates.

Low accessibility. The affordance of low accessibility is not actualized as well. When searching for candidates, recruiters barely look at profile pages and they do not reach out to potential candidates. Also, comments are not read by recruiters, and they do not search through networks to find candidates. Therefore, the affordance of low accessibility does currently not help recruiters in their aim to search for candidates with the right competencies and fit, or to access a wide range of candidates.

Figure 4: Categorization of actualization level of the perceived affordances

Summary of Findings

After analysing all findings as presented in the previous sections, key findings are as follows. At Lefier, there are four main recruitment goals, namely: to present a favourable image, to access a wide range of candidates, to attract candidates with the desired competencies, and to access candidates with a high fit. Where the first goal, to present a favourable image, strongly relates to the organisation in general, these other three goals merely relate to recruitment in specific. With regard to LinkedIn, there are currently eight technological features used by the employees of Lefier. These features are: the contributions, share feature, statistics, comments section, private messaging, network connections, personal profile, and the search engine. From the imbrication between the recruitment goals and LinkedIn features, there are six perceived sub-affordances identified. Two of these are related to the organisation, and to the bigger affordance of organisational visibility: free promotion and exposure, and transmitting a cultural message. The other four affordances are related to the recruitment in specific and to the bigger affordance of association. These are: low accessibility, unbounded reach, ability to target niche candidates, and to provide trustworthy information.

Findings illustrate that none of these six perceived affordances is actualized. Three affordances are partly actualized, namely: free promotion and exposure, unbounded reach, and to provide trustworthy information, and three affordances are non-actualized affordances. These are transmitting a cultural message, low accessibility, and the ability to target niche candidates. The explanation for this lies in the current limited use of the social media platform, due to a fivefold of reasons: a lack of knowledge among employees, the use of LinkedIn is seen as routine use, no strategy with regard to the use of LinkedIn, the use of LinkedIn is not prioritized among the daily work practices, and finally, recruiters tend to passively use LinkedIn.

The connections are shown in the revised conceptual model based upon the findings described above. In Figure 5, the orange arrows between the features and the affordances, refers to the features that are not used by recruiters, while the green arrows illustrate the features that are currently used. The blue arrows relate the recruitment goals to the perceived affordances. Finally, the grey arrows, illustrate which affordances are partly- or non-actualized.

Figure 5: Revised conceptual model based upon the findings

Discussion and Conclusion

insights are provided in the theoretical and managerial implication, and on the limitations and suggestions for further research. The research question formulated was as follows: “How does the use

of LinkedIn help organisations to meet their recruitment goals?”. Finding illustrate that LinkedIn,

depending on the alignment between the system use and the organisational goals, can help recruiters to meet their recruitment goal. To elaborate on the answer, an analysis of the findings has been made per research objective.

The first research objective was to gain insight in the recruitment goals. Findings illustrate four recruitment goals: presenting a favourable image, accessing a wide range of candidates, attracting candidates with the desired competencies, and accessing candidates with a high fit. This research shows that the goal of presenting a favourable image of the organisation, tends to be related to the organisation in general. While the other three goals relate to recruitment in specific. This extends current literature by arguing that some recruitment goals can be related to the organisation, while others to recruitment in specific. Current literature illustrates five traditional e-HRM goals, namely: being cost-effective, improving services for internal customers, addressing strategic objectives, improving a global orientation, and improving efficiency (Parry & Tyson, 2011; Martin, et al., 2008; Lepak & Snell, 1998; Rual, et al., 2014). Only one of these goals, that of improving a global orientation, is also indicated by respondents. By the recruitment goal of accessing a wide range of candidates, recruiters aim to extend their local restrictions and target a broad range, possibly global, candidates. This finding also complements the study of Broughton, et al., (2013). The other four e-HRM goals are not mentioned among respondents. This might be for reason that these goals are more indirectly related to the organisation. Therefore, the first proposition is: In organisations, employees

mainly perceive goals that are directly related to their own personal work practices, instead of goals that enhance the main elements of the organisational strategy.

the second proposition can be offered: In organisations where knowledge is not provided on how the

system is used, the feature use will remain superficial, only focussing on the level of core and concrete features.

The third objective questioned which affordances of LinkedIn are perceived by the organisation’s employees, and whether visibility and association are among them. Findings illustrate that both the affordances of visibility and association were perceived, supporting Treem and Leonardi (2012). Additionally, this study indicates that visibility is valuable for the organisational process, while association is seen as valuable for the recruitment process. The current study expands Treem and Leonardi’s (2012) insights by illustrating that the perceived affordances of visibility and association are actually made out of bundles of affordances, supporting Strong, et al. (2014) study. The affordance of visibility is comprised of free promotion and exposure, and transmitting a cultural message. While, the affordance of association can be comprised of the affordances of low accessibility, unbounded reach, ability to target niche candidates, and to provide trustworthy information. Finally, findings illustrate that recruiters perceive constraints from the use of LinkedIn, namely: transmitting the wrong message, impure network and information, incomplete profile, inability to target niche candidates, and the inability to control content of other users. These constraints limit recruiters in their goal to meet their recruitment goals, and they could impact the system use of recruiters. Based on these arguments, we offer the third proposition: Every affordance

that is perceived by the user of the system, is per definition made out of bundles of interrelating affordances.

This is surprising, given the tight labour market in which it is hard to attract candidates. Thus, we offer the final proposition: In organisations where the system use is not aligned with the goals, and

where knowledge is not provided on the feature use of the system, it is nearly impossible to fully actualize affordances.

“How does the use of LinkedIn help organisations to meet their recruitment goals?”. To answer this question, it is important to align effective system use with the goals the user has. Therefore, providing knowledge is crucial. From the imbrication between feature use and goals, perceived affordances occur. By effectively using the system, these affordances could become actualized, in which they are value enhancing for the organisation. In this way, a system, LinkedIn in this case, could help the organisation to meet their goals.

Theoretical Contributions

This study extends on prior research that has emphasized the importance of IT affordances as success factor of technology, by extending our understanding of and providing empirical evidence on the use of LinkedIn in recruitment. This study fills the need for an extensive examination of advantages and disadvantages of the professional social networking site, LinkedIn, in recruitment, given that current literature for LinkedIn in recruitment is limited and scare (Zide, et al., 2014; Roulin & Bangerter, 2013). Complementarily to Treem and Leonardi (2011), this study confirms that the use of social media can be beneficial in recruitment.

Also, this study contributes to the theory of IT affordances by exploring and theorizing on the affordances of visibility and association, and the actualization of these affordances in a concrete research setting and real-life context. Complementing Treem and Leonardi (2012), findings illustrate that both the affordances of visibility and association can occur from the use of LinkedIn in recruitment. Expanding their study, this study indicates that visibility is especially valuable for the organisational process, while association is valuable for the recruitment process. Furthermore, this study complements Strong et al. (2014) by illustrating that affordances are made out of interrelating sub-affordances. The level to which affordances are value enhancing to the organisation is determined by the system use. The system use impacts the actualization process of affordances. When affordances are fully actualized, these affordances help users to meet their goals.