Polling the Popularity of a Recruitment Source: A Nigerian Job seekers' Perspective

Executive Summary
Prevalent literature on the utilization of recruitment sources by jobseekers show that informal sources, in particular, networking (which includes employee referrals and the use of social networks on social media), are more effective for job search than formal sources. This paper suggests that more jobseekers employ networking than they do newspapers, company websites and online job boards in their job search activities. The way people use their social networks in job-hunting appears to be influenced by their collective culture and this culture may inspire the practice of favoritism in the recruitment process. Mixed-methods research was performed on a sample of 84 Nigerian jobseekers residing in Lagos State. The data and available recruitment literature both seem to agree that more jobseekers use their social networks in job-hunting than other methods. It also explains that Nigerian jobseekers perceive that favoritism is a rampant practice in the labor market and they believe that before a jobseeker can achieve employment within a recruiting organization, s/he needs to know someone within that organization who will help them in securing employment.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments    
Executive Summary   

Chapter One - Introduction    
Overview      
Purpose and Focus of Research  
Research Outline  
Summary     

Chapter Two - Literature review 
Introduction  
Review of Recruitment Source Literature 
Recruiting Sources     
Recruiting Source Classification     
The Behavior of a Jobseeker  
Formal vs. Informal     
Social Networks  
Theory of Social Networks  
Social Networks and the Media       
Culture and the Jobseeker  
Favoritism    
Summary     

Chapter Three - Methodology 
Introduction  
Mixed-Methods  
Data Collection Instruments 
Respondents Sample    
Data Collection   
Summary     

Chapter Four - Findings and Data Analysis    
Introduction    
Presentation of Quantitative Data 
Presentation of Qualitative Data 
Analysis of Results      
Jobseeker and job search 
Most Popular Source    
Social Networking      
Newspapers    
Employee Referral vs. Newspaper: an organization perspective       
Favoritism, Nepotism and Cronyism     
The Nigerian connection   
Summary    

Chapter Five - Discussion     
Overview      
Conclusion    
Recommendations      
Reflections    
References     
Appendix 1     
Questionnaire  
Appendix 2     
Proposal