Talent Goes Social: Online Corporate Networking and Business Performance

Abstract

This study examines the effect of online social talent on business performance. The paper uses data from a selected sample of 296 companies from the S&P 500 list with active corporate profiles on LinkedIn. The empirical design consists of non-linear techniques to test the hypothesis that financial performance (i.e., revenue) and online social talent (i.e., employee online profile and skills) have a positive and non-linear relationship. The findings show that internal online social talent measured by employees’ online profiles, and their skills are positively associated with companies’ financial performance. The study provides insights into talent management in the digital age and elucidates the role of online corporate social networking in business performance.