Vincent Olger

Research Translation

Applicant Attraction to Organizations and Job Choice

Intro and Purpose of Article:
Attracting high performing applicants is crucial to organizational success. This will
hold true over the next 15 years in which a bachelors degree will be just as necessary as a
high school diploma. Firms will be battling for the best talent the world has to offer so
figuring out how to most effectively attract top applicants is essential to the future of the
organization.
Chapman & Carroll from the University of Calgary conducted a meta-analysis to
determine the most essential organizational characteristics/practices that will determine an
applicants likelihood to apply for or accept a given vacancy.
Methods:
The authors conducted a meta-analysis. First they gathered info from databases in
psychology, management, and education using 26 recruitment related terms such as;
applicant attraction, job acceptance/choice, recruiter characteristics, etc.). Then examined
six recruiting reviews. Third, reviewed conference programs from the Academy of
Management and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Finally they
contacted 18 prominent researchers in the recruiting field to ask about current and past
publications. They used all of this information to determine six prominent variables in the
recruiting process.
Results:
The authors findings determined variables that if implored, would help organizations
recruit qualified candidates most effectively. These variables are, an organizations
characteristics, recruiter behaviors, perceptions of the recruiting process, perceived fit,
hiring expectancies, and perceived alternatives.
Practical Implications:
The practical implications of this studys findings are substantial and should be used
by every business with a competitive hiring process. First their organizational characteristics,
which probably cant change too much, should align with the candidates they hope to
attract. Then by analyzing their recruiter, they can see if they are reflecting positively on the
organization. The recruiting process should reflect the firms beliefs when it comes to the
way they treat the applicants. They should feel they are receiving appropriate interpersonal
skills from the recruiter. Then the company can tailor the applicants desires to their
perceived fit in the company. The firm should also be open about their hiring expectancies
with the applicant throughout the recruiting process. Finally the firm should convince the
applicant that their firm is the best alternative to other jobs.
Reservations and Limitations:
The beneficial applications of this study outweigh the drawbacks. One of the variables that
could potentially damper the effects of results is that the population of applicants may differ
if applicants self-select out of the recruiting process, therefor range restrictions in the
predictor variables may increase. This would cause an inaccurate prediction in selection of
capable/quality applicants for the firm. My only reservation is that they did not consult

companies that hire historically good employees while also maintaining a low turnover rate,
which could provide a useful comparison to their findings.