As employers turn to online sources to supplement information about applicants obtained from applications, resumes, and other self-generated information, how may the nature of the information as well as the medium from which it was obtained affect an employer's perception of an applicant's fit? This work addresses the use of online information to reduce uncertainty about a target individual, focusing on effects in the hiring process. Two experiments are presented addressing nine theoretically-derived hypotheses and one research question. The first study tested the effects of positively or negatively valenced information on perceptions of applicant fit. The second study addressed two mechanisms (observation in multiple contexts and warranted information) by which online information can influence perceptions, specifically of perceived applicant person-job fit. Results of an experiment with 167 graduate business students presented mixed results, indicating that positive information influences perceptions of an applicant's employability more than negative. However, many of the mechanisms common in online information did not significantly influence perceptions of fit. Findings are discussed with respect to uncertainty reduction theory in general as well as with respect to practical implications for job applicants and hiring employers.
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