Professional Personal Branding: Using a 'Think-Aloud' Protocol to Investigate How Recruiters Judge LinkedIN Profile Pictures

摘要

This study builds on previous work on personal branding and is one of the first to qualitatively explore how and why actual recruiters make certain decisions in selecting a candidate on LinkedIN. In this study, recruiters reviewed seven different Linkedin pictures of a job candidate applying for a ficticious entry-level Marketing Consultant Job, while using a think-aloud method. Each picture displayed the candidate in a different way, making certain cues more salient (e.g. smiling, casual holiday shot, avoiding eye gaze). The results of this study indicated that especially the cues of smiling and eye-contact (looking in the camera) appear to have a positive influence on the perception of perceived credibility. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.