Argument-Based Versus Emotion-Based Videos During the Early Stages of Recruitment: Effects on Perceived Employer Brand Image, Application Intentions, and Positive Word-of-Mouth

Abstract

Competition for qualified personnel will intensify within the next 10 years as recent estimates indicate. Organizations need to challenge these difficulties by implementing innovative recruitment methods to sustain in the war for talent. Two types of movies were used to analyze if an evaluation of these movies is related to perception of the symbolic facet of perceived employer brand image (PEBI) and ultimately related to application intentions and positive word-of-mouth (WOM). A cross-sectional online study with students from different universities throughout Germany was conducted. Positive relationships between attitude towards the ad (A2ad) and the symbolic facet of PEBI as well as between the symbolic facet of PEBI and application intentions and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) were found. Argument-based videos were shown to be predictive of the symbolic facet of PEBI and had a direct impact on application intentions. Evaluation of affective-based videos showed no significant effect on application intentions but was also predictive of the symbolic facet of PEBI. Results help validating the relevance of communicating job- and organization-specific information to potential applicants. While organization-specific information is likely to be predictive for a positive evaluation of PEBI, only argument-based information generates attitudes related to application intentions.