Facebook can predict job performance, study shows

Facebook profiles are good predictors of job performance, American researchers have found.

Their study in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed "a quick review of a Facebook profile can actually provide a better prediction of job success than standardized tests used for years by human resources departments around the world," the Chicago Tribune said.

"Hiring specialists were just trying to eliminate someone who was doing something inappropriate," Donald Kluemper, a management professor at Northern Illinois University and one of the study's lead authors told the Tribune. "What we did is try to assess the personality traits in a similar way that they might be assessed by a standardized test."

To do that, researchers trained raters to evaluate Facebook pages to answer specific personality questions. Raters spent about 10 minutes looking for signs of traits like agreeableness and openness to experiences.

"Pictures and references to traveling signaled openness to new experiences and adventurousness, while the number of friends you have indicates extroversion," Mashable said.

After six months, researchers compared their ratings with employee evaluations from subjects' supervisors.

"They found a strong correlation between job performance and the Facebook scores for traits such as conscientiousness, agreeability and intellectual curiosity," the Wall Street Journal said.

It noted that partying photos didn't necessarily count against Facebookers.

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