Individual Reactions to Organizational Recruiting: A Review

A body of empirical research has emerged which explicitly examines the reactions of applicants to recruiting activities. Although there is a decided lack of any substantive theoretical orientation underlying the recruitment research, 2 major themes have been substituted as a framework: 1. the various characteristics of the administrative processing of initial and subsequent recruitment contacts may affect applicants' attitudes and decisions, and 2. although the elements of the job selection process are designed primarily to assist the organization in its selection decision, the nature of the particular evaluative procedures used to assess the applicant may have important consequences for the way the applicant views the organization. The results of the research review indicate that the recruiting representative, administrative practices, and procedures used to evaluate applicant qualifications are potentially important influences on job seeker attitudes and behaviors. More research in this area is needed with a concentration on building a theoretical framework, and a heightened concern for greater methodological rigor.