Applicant Attraction to Firms: Influences of Organization Reputation, Job and Organizational Attributes, and Recruiter Behaviors

Abstract

We develop and then empirically test a model of how organization reputation, job and organizational attributes, and recruiter behaviors influence applicant attraction to firms using data from 361 campus recruitment interviews in which applicants completed surveys before and after the interview. Results indicate that recruiter behaviors did not have a direct effect on applicant attraction, but influenced attraction indirectly through influencing perceptions of job and organizational attributes. As hypothesized, job and organizational attributes positively influenced attraction, and organization reputation positively influenced applicant perceptions of job and organizational attributes and recruiter behaviors. Contrary to our hypotheses, however, organization reputation had a negative direct effect on applicant attraction. We discuss implications of our findings and suggest directions for future research.