title: LinkedIn for Personnel Recruitment and Selection: A New Zealand perspective

authors: Heynes, Seth James

subjects: Recruitment

abstract: This study explored how the professional networking site LinkedIn is being used and perceived by recruitment and selection practitioners within New Zealand organisations. In recent times LinkedIn has seen large increases in membership and it has become a resource used by recruitment and selection practitioners. LinkedIn is conceptualised as a professional networking site which can be perceived differently to social networking sites such as Facebook. Specifically this study sought to determine how common the usage of LinkedIn was, the features being used by recruitment and selection practitioners, how these features affect or influence perceptions and decision making of recruitment and selection practitioners, and if LinkedIn was being used alongside Social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. 
Participants were recruited from various New Zealand university alumni groups, professional membership groups and various organisations. Eligibility for the research required individuals to be conducting the role of either recruitment or selection within their current positions within New Zealand. The final sample consisted of 135 participants, and descriptive and thematic analysis was conducted on the survey responses. 
The results indicated that 66.4% of the sample were using LinkedIn for both personnel recruitment and selection. LinkedIn was used more for recruitment purposes with both recruitment and selection practitioners indicating that LinkedIn can be perceived as a resource for recruitment and selection. Results further indicated that many organisations did not maintain any formal policy regarding LinkedIn use within recruitment and selection procedures. Results indicated that the most frequently used features of LinkedIn were the Profile, and Jobs & Hiring features. The professional information sub feature, alongside previous experience and qualifications obtained, was perceived to be the most important and it influenced aspects of recruitment and selection decision making. Facebook was indicated to be the most used social networking site alongside LinkedIn, with 88% of participants having reported using Facebook for recruitment and selection. The results also showed that recruitment and selection practitioners perceive many disadvantages of LinkedIn such as lack of credibility, inaccuracy of information and that LinkedIn may not be appropriate for certain job roles. However, LinkedIn was perceived as a resource which maintained beneficial professional information.
As stated by Barber (1998, as cited in Breaugh & Starke, 2000), this research has sought to address gaps in the literature regarding practitioners’ attitudes towards recruitment sources and to investigate influencing aspects on recruiter and selectors’ decision making. The research addresses both of these aspects by highlighting attitudes of practitioners towards LinkedIn and identifies some of the more influential features of LinkedIn on practitioners’ decision making. This is beneficial for practitioners as it indicates the positive and the negative aspects of LinkedIn which is a scarcely researched topic while also addressing the research gaps mentioned by Barber (1998). 
The current research has confirmed LinkedIn as a resource for recruitment and selection; however, LinkedIn lacks predictive validity and future research, such as predictive validation studies could be conducted to identify whether LinkedIn provides any incremental validity beyond the traditional predictors of job performance.

text: LinkedIn for Personnel Recruitment and Selection: A New Zealand perspective This study explored how the professional networking site LinkedIn is being used and perceived by recruitment and selection practitioners within New Zealand organisations. In recent times LinkedIn has seen large increases in membership and it has become a resource used by recruitment and selection practitioners. LinkedIn is conceptualised as a professional networking site which can be perceived differently to social networking sites such as Facebook. Specifically this study sought to determine how common the usage of LinkedIn was, the features being used by recruitment and selection practitioners, how these features affect or influence perceptions and decision making of recruitment and selection practitioners, and if LinkedIn was being used alongside Social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. 
Participants were recruited from various New Zealand university alumni groups, professional membership groups and various organisations. Eligibility for the research required individuals to be conducting the role of either recruitment or selection within their current positions within New Zealand. The final sample consisted of 135 participants, and descriptive and thematic analysis was conducted on the survey responses. 
The results indicated that 66.4% of the sample were using LinkedIn for both personnel recruitment and selection. LinkedIn was used more for recruitment purposes with both recruitment and selection practitioners indicating that LinkedIn can be perceived as a resource for recruitment and selection. Results further indicated that many organisations did not maintain any formal policy regarding LinkedIn use within recruitment and selection procedures. Results indicated that the most frequently used features of LinkedIn were the Profile, and Jobs & Hiring features. The professional information sub feature, alongside previous experience and qualifications obtained, was perceived to be the most important and it influenced aspects of recruitment and selection decision making. Facebook was indicated to be the most used social networking site alongside LinkedIn, with 88% of participants having reported using Facebook for recruitment and selection. The results also showed that recruitment and selection practitioners perceive many disadvantages of LinkedIn such as lack of credibility, inaccuracy of information and that LinkedIn may not be appropriate for certain job roles. However, LinkedIn was perceived as a resource which maintained beneficial professional information.
As stated by Barber (1998, as cited in Breaugh & Starke, 2000), this research has sought to address gaps in the literature regarding practitioners’ attitudes towards recruitment sources and to investigate influencing aspects on recruiter and selectors’ decision making. The research addresses both of these aspects by highlighting attitudes of practitioners towards LinkedIn and identifies some of the more influential features of LinkedIn on practitioners’ decision making. This is beneficial for practitioners as it indicates the positive and the negative aspects of LinkedIn which is a scarcely researched topic while also addressing the research gaps mentioned by Barber (1998). 
The current research has confirmed LinkedIn as a resource for recruitment and selection; however, LinkedIn lacks predictive validity and future research, such as predictive validation studies could be conducted to identify whether LinkedIn provides any incremental validity beyond the traditional predictors of job performance.

year: 2015

title: Ultra-low-cost logging anemometer for wind power generation feasibility surveys

authors: Cosgrove, Michael

abstract: We describe the design and implementation of a cup anemometer capable of logging average wind speed, maximum wind speed and seconds with wind above a criterion speed, on individual weeks. The instrument will operate for at least 54 weeks on two AA dry cells. The intention is that this instrument be deployed to ascertain whether it would be economical to install a wind generator, at a fraction of the cost of a multipurpose weather data logging station. It is designed around a $2 microcontroller that provides non-volatile memory. Provision has been made for using either a magnetic reed switch or the motor from a discarded hard disk drive to sense rotation. The latter enables the use of an otherwise worthless bearing and drive assembly to provide an especially frugal solution.

text: Ultra-low-cost logging anemometer for wind power generation feasibility surveys We describe the design and implementation of a cup anemometer capable of logging average wind speed, maximum wind speed and seconds with wind above a criterion speed, on individual weeks. The instrument will operate for at least 54 weeks on two AA dry cells. The intention is that this instrument be deployed to ascertain whether it would be economical to install a wind generator, at a fraction of the cost of a multipurpose weather data logging station. It is designed around a $2 microcontroller that provides non-volatile memory. Provision has been made for using either a magnetic reed switch or the motor from a discarded hard disk drive to sense rotation. The latter enables the use of an otherwise worthless bearing and drive assembly to provide an especially frugal solution.

year: 2007

title: The marine reservoir effect in the Southern Ocean: an evaluation of extant and new R values and their application to archaeological chronologies

authors: Petchey, Fiona

subjects: ∆R

abstract: The last phase of human colonisation of the south-west Pacific occurred around the 12th Century AD amongst the islands of the subtropical and temperate zones of the Southern Ocean (i.e., Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand and the Chatham Islands) (Fig. 1). Archaeological evidence indicates that initial colonisation of the region was rapid, possibly taking less than 100 years. Unfortunately, the chronology of these events has been largely reliant on charcoal radiocarbon determinations that have not been successful in delineating these changes. This paper investigates the use of marine shell for radiocarbon dating as an alternative to charcoal, with specific focus on variation in the marine 14C reservoir (specifically the ∆R) of Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands), Norfolk Island and Chatham Island (Fig. 2). Results from known-age, pre-AD 1950 shellfish indicate that ∆R values south of the South Pacific Convergence Zone are low compared to those recorded for islands within the South Pacific generally (Fig. 1) (see Petchey et al.in press). An average ∆R value of –19 ± 13 14C yr is recorded for Raoul Island and –49 ± 10 14C yr for Norfolk Island. These values are attributed to heightened absorption of atmospheric CO2 in this region. Extant published ∆R information from New Zealand (Fig. 2A) also suggests a low average ∆R value for these southern waters, but the range of values indicates that considerable variability is possible because of the complex interplay of currents around the New Zealand coastline. In contrast, results from Chatham Island are more variable and much higher (average ∆R = 134 ± 83 14C yr). Stable oxygen and carbon isotope data support the hypothesis that these ∆R values are caused by upwelling and mixing of 14C-depleted water along the Chatham Rise. Comparison of marine and charcoal 14C determinations from archaeological sites on Raoul Island support, within the limits of the available data, the ∆R values obtained, but further analysis is required to establish the stability of this value over time.

text: The marine reservoir effect in the Southern Ocean: an evaluation of extant and new R values and their application to archaeological chronologies The last phase of human colonisation of the south-west Pacific occurred around the 12th Century AD amongst the islands of the subtropical and temperate zones of the Southern Ocean (i.e., Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand and the Chatham Islands) (Fig. 1). Archaeological evidence indicates that initial colonisation of the region was rapid, possibly taking less than 100 years. Unfortunately, the chronology of these events has been largely reliant on charcoal radiocarbon determinations that have not been successful in delineating these changes. This paper investigates the use of marine shell for radiocarbon dating as an alternative to charcoal, with specific focus on variation in the marine 14C reservoir (specifically the ∆R) of Raoul Island (Kermadec Islands), Norfolk Island and Chatham Island (Fig. 2). Results from known-age, pre-AD 1950 shellfish indicate that ∆R values south of the South Pacific Convergence Zone are low compared to those recorded for islands within the South Pacific generally (Fig. 1) (see Petchey et al.in press). An average ∆R value of –19 ± 13 14C yr is recorded for Raoul Island and –49 ± 10 14C yr for Norfolk Island. These values are attributed to heightened absorption of atmospheric CO2 in this region. Extant published ∆R information from New Zealand (Fig. 2A) also suggests a low average ∆R value for these southern waters, but the range of values indicates that considerable variability is possible because of the complex interplay of currents around the New Zealand coastline. In contrast, results from Chatham Island are more variable and much higher (average ∆R = 134 ± 83 14C yr). Stable oxygen and carbon isotope data support the hypothesis that these ∆R values are caused by upwelling and mixing of 14C-depleted water along the Chatham Rise. Comparison of marine and charcoal 14C determinations from archaeological sites on Raoul Island support, within the limits of the available data, the ∆R values obtained, but further analysis is required to establish the stability of this value over time.

year: 2008