Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the sequential effects of recruitment information on applicant reactions following three recruitment stages (campus fair, recruitment interview, and site visit) and the timing of communications independently, across stages, and in combination.
Design/methodology/approach
A simulation of the recruitment process with 292 undergraduate business students randomly assigned to positive or negative experiences at each of the recruitment stages.
Findings
Specific information during the campus fair, a personable and informative recruiter, prompt communication following the interview, and the opportunity to interact with organizational members during the site-visit were positively related to applicant reactions. Furthermore, although the recruitment information was more likely to have an effect at the stage in which it was received than at subsequent stages, the information at several stages did have significant positive and negative effects at subsequent stages. In addition, applicants who experienced more stages with positive information had more positive applicant reactions in support of the effects of “bundles” of recruitment activities.
Implications
Even more important than understanding the impact of any one particular recruitment experience is the overall effect of all recruitment stages experienced by a job applicant. Thus, one good recruitment experience is probably not enough to impress and attract job applicants.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to explore applicant reactions at different stages of the recruitment process using repeated measures SEM and to examine the combined effects of recruitment information at different stages on applicant reactions.
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Acknowledgment
The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Jerel Slaughter and two anonymous reviewers for providing us with insightful and helpful comments.
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Received and reviewed by former editor, George Neuman.
Appendix: Recruitment Stage Manipulations
Appendix: Recruitment Stage Manipulations
Stage 1: Campus Fair Information
Specific Information Condition
Axiom holds annual campus visits to keep abreast of potential job candidates. This year, you have decided to visit Axiom’s information booth to see what job openings they will have to offer in your area of specialization. Upon visiting Axiom’s booth, you are given some of their recruitment information, and you watch a short video about Axiom. During this time you are informed about the entry-level positions at Axiom, what it is like to work at Axiom, compensation and benefits, career-related issues and advancement opportunities, and the culture of Axiom. After watching the video, the recruiter talks to you about the kind of workers and managers who currently work at Axiom.
General Information Condition
Axiom holds annual campus visits to keep abreast of potential job candidates. This year, you have decided to visit Axiom’s information booth to see what job openings they will have to offer in your area of specialization. Upon visiting Axiom’s booth, you are given some of their recruitment information, and you watch a short video about Axiom. During this time you are informed about Axiom’s divisions, product lines, its share in the market, its growth potential, its position relative to competitors, and employee philosophy. After watching the video, the recruiter talks to you about the company’s growth in the last five years and its forecasted growth for the next year.
Stage 2: Recruitment Interview
Personal-Informative Condition
Upon finding out about a job opening at Axiom in your area of interest, you decide to apply for the position. After sending Axiom a letter of interest and your CV, you are invited for a campus interview. When you arrive for your interview the recruiter calls your name and thanks you for sending your resume to Axiom. Once in the recruiter’s office you notice your resume on his/her desk. During the interview, the recruiter reviews your CV and asks you a number of specific questions about your knowledge and abilities. Afterwards, you ask the recruiter a question about the job and he/she discusses the positive and negative characteristics of the job, and then asks you if you have any further questions before ending the interview.
Impersonal-Uninformative Condition
Upon finding out about a job opening at Axiom in your area of interest, you decide to apply for the position. After sending Axiom a letter of interest and your CV, you are invited for a campus interview. When you arrive for your interview the recruiter asks you your name and if you have sent a copy of your resume to Axiom. When you indicate that you have sent your CV to Axiom, the recruiter searches for it in a pile of resumes on his/her desk. The recruiter then reads your CV and asks you a number of general questions about yourself. Afterwards, you ask the recruiter a question about the job and he/she discusses many of the positive characteristics of the job, and then ends the interview.
Stage 3: Timing of Recruitment Communication
Early Communication Condition
One week after your campus interview, you receive a letter from Axiom thanking you for your interest in them as an employer, and informing you that you will be notified about the outcome of your interview and your status as soon as the interview process is complete. Two weeks after receiving this letter you receive a phone call from the human resource department informing you that your interview was very good, and you have made the short list for the job you have applied for. As a result, Axiom would like you to come to their head office for an on-site visit as part of the next stage of the recruitment process.
Late Communication Condition
Four weeks after your campus interview, you receive a letter from Axiom thanking you for your interest in them as an employer, and informing you that you will be notified about the outcome of your interview and your status as soon as the interview process is complete. Six weeks after receiving this letter you receive a phone call from the human resource department informing you that your interview was very good, and you have made the short list for the job you have applied for. As a result, Axiom would like you to come to their head office for an on-site visit as part of the next stage of the recruitment process.
Stage 4: Site Visit
Interactions Condition
You have been flown to Axiom headquarters for a 2-day site visit. On the first day of your visit, a welcome speech is given by the director of human resources, followed by a tour of the facilities. You then attend an information session in which a video is shown about Axiom, followed by a question-and-answer period. You are then given a tour of the surrounding area. You then have dinner with a group of other applicants and the corporate human resource staff. On the second day of your visit, you spend the day in interviews and meetings with your potential co-workers, supervisor, and upper-level managers discussing the details of your potential job, and what it will be like to work at Axiom. That evening you return home.
No-Interactions Condition
You have been flown to Axiom headquarters for a 2-day site visit. On the first day of your visit, a welcome speech is given by the director of human resources, followed by a tour of the facilities. You then attend an information session in which a video is shown about Axiom, followed by a question-and-answer period. You are then given a tour of the surrounding area. You then have dinner with a group of other applicants and the corporate human resource staff. On the second day of your visit, you spend the day participating in an assessment centre which consists of a series of interviews, psychological tests, and structured exercises. That evening you return home.
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Saks, A.M., Uggerslev, K.L. Sequential and Combined Effects of Recruitment Information on Applicant Reactions. J Bus Psychol 25, 351–365 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9142-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9142-0