Electronic word-of-mouth via employer review sites – the effects on organizational attraction

Abstract

Recent recruitment research has provided evidence for word-of-mouth (WoM) to affect organizational attraction. However, little is known about its effects in an online environment. This is particularly true with regard to employer review sites, which provide electronic WoM to a large number of job seekers. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the present study addresses this research gap by investigating the effects of positive electronic WoM provided by employer review sites on organizational attraction. A vignette-based quasi-experimental study was conducted (n = 386) with argument quality of the electronic WoM message, source expertise and recipients’ previous job search experience as experimental variables. The results indicate a statistically significant main effect of the argument quality of the electronic WoM message and the source’s expertise. We also found a three-way interaction that reveals that recipients process electronic WoM differently depending on their previous job search experience. We discuss our findings with regard to limitations and future research.