This document discusses research into whether social networking online can help young people classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) gain employment. It begins by defining NEET and providing statistics on NEET rates. It then reviews literature on social networks and information diffusion, networking as information seeking behavior, and use of social media tools for networking. The document outlines research questions on offline networking behaviors, how social media supports networking during job searches, and how networking can improve employability. The proposed methodology includes surveys and case studies to explore how NEETs source information through social contacts and use social media for networking during job searches.

1. Could social networking online
help NEET young people gain
employment?
By John Mowbray
Co authors: Professor Hazel Hall
Professor Robert Raeside
Dr Peter Robertson
Twitter: @jmowb_napier

2. Structure of paper
• What does NEET mean?
• Social networking online: key themes
– Social networks and information diffusion
– Networking as information seeking behaviour
– Social media tools and networking
• Research questions
• Methodological approach
• Any questions?

3. What does NEET mean?
• Not in Education, Employment or
Training
• Refers to 16-19 year olds in Scotland
• Left school without a ‘positive’
destination
• Associated with
– Social deprivation
– Low educational attainment
– Weak family/support networks
Help wanted sign © Photo by: Johannsen, A.J. (2011)
Web: https://goo.gl/Pb4I7M License:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

4. Proportion of NEETs
3.5
7.3
11.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Low (Eilean Siar) Average (Mean) High (Clackmannanshire)
%ofschoolleavers
Scottish constituency
% of 16-19 year olds not going into education, employment or training in 2013
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2014)

5. Key themes from the literature

6. Social networks and information
• Network structure and information diffusion
– Weak ties
– Strong ties
• Social capital is embedded within networks
• Social capital resources include
– Informational support
– Emotional support
– Economic support

7. Social networks and information (2)
Weak tie
(bridge)
Strong ties

8. Networking as information seeking
Networking is a form of goal-directed behaviour, (…) focused on creating,
cultivating, and utilising interpersonal
relationships.
Gibson, Hardy III, & Buckley (2014)

9. Networking as information seeking
(2)
Personality,
Self-efficacy
Self esteem,
Attitudes,
Education,
Gender.
Networking
Antecedents
Social
capital
resources
Increased
employability
Behaviour Mechanism
Outcomes

10. Social media adoption
• 83% of 16-24 year olds visit social networking sites daily
• Increasingly used by businesses for recruitment
• Can facilitate bonding and bridging social capital
• There are a diverse range of social media tools such as:
– Networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn etc.)
– Micro-blogs (Twitter)
– Discussion forums

11. Social media adoption (2):
Honeycomb framework
Presence
The extent to
which users
know if others
are available
Conversations
The extent to
which users
communicate
with each other
Identity
The extent to
which users
reveal
themselves
Sharing
The extent to
which users
exchange,
distribute and
receive content
Relationships
The extent to
which users
relate to each
other
Reputation
The extent to
which users
know the social
standing of
others and
content
Groups
The extent to
which users are
ordered or form
communities
Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy &
Silvestre (2011)

12. Research questions
What are the key off-line networking behaviours employed by the
Scottish labour force during job search?

13. Research questions
How do social media tools support the networking behaviours of the
Scottish labour force during job search?

14. Research questions
How can networking supported by social media help to improve
individual employability levels of the Scottish Labour force?

15. Methodology
• A survey questionnaire to investigate the extent and nature of social
networking, as supported by social media tools, during job search
• A series of qualitative case studies aimed at providing a deeper insight
into the process by which job seekers source information via their
interpersonal contacts, and the role of social media tools in this
process

16. References
• Bell, D., & Blanchflower, D. G. (2010). Young people and recession: A lost generation?. In Fifty-Second Panel
Meeting on Economic Policy, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance, October, 22-23.
• Beaudoin, C. E., & Tao, C. C. (2007). Benefiting from social capital in online support groups: An empirical study of
cancer patients. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(4), 587-590.
• Burt, R. S. (2002). The social capital of structural holes. The new economic sociology: Developments in an emerging
field, 148-190.
• Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: social capital and college
students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143-1168.
• Finlay, I., Sheridan, M., McKay, J., & Nudzor, H. (2010). Young people on the margins: in need of more choices and
more chances in twenty‐first century Scotland. British Educational Research Journal, 36(5), 851–867.
• Gibson, C., H. Hardy III, J., & Ronald Buckley, M. (2014). Understanding the role of networking in organizations.
Career Development International, 19(2), 146-161.
• Granovetter, M. S. (1973). The strength of weak ties. American journal of sociology, 1360-1380.
• Granovetter, M. (1974). Getting a job. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2014) Young people in Scotland not in education, employment or training (NEET) by
local authority. Available at: http://data.jrf.org.uk/data/NEETS-scotland-la/, [Accessed 19th June 2015]

17. References (2)
• Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding
the functional building blocks of social media. Business horizons, 54(3), 241-251.
• Karsai, M., Perra, N., & Vespignani, A. (2014). Time varying networks and the weakness of strong ties. Scientific
reports, 4.
• Ofcom (2014). Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes Report. [Online]. Available at:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/media-literacy/adults-2014/2014_Adults_report.pdf [Accessed 20th
February 2015].
• Smith, S. S. (2005). Don’t put my name on it: social capital activation and job‐finding assistance among the black
urban poor. American Journal of Sociology, 111(1), 1-57.
• Valenzuela, S., Park, N., & Kee, K. F. (2009). Is there social capital in a social network site?: Facebook use and
college students' life satisfaction, trust, and participation. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 14(4), 875-
901.
• Verhaeghe, P.-P., Van der Bracht, K., & Van de Putte, B. (2015). Inequalities in social capital and their longitudinal
effects on the labour market entry. Social Networks, 40, 174–184.
• Wanberg, C. R., Kanfer, R., & Banas, J. T. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of networking intensity among
unemployed job seekers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(4), 491.
• Wolff, H. G., & Kim, S. (2012). The relationship between networking behaviors and the Big Five personality
dimensions. Career Development International, 17(1), 43-66.

18. Any Questions?
Blog site:
www.johnmowbray.org