How Do Organizations With A Negative Employer Reputation Due to Their Industry Attract Applicants?

Abstract

This paper identifies the recruitment messaging strategies that organizations with a negative employer reputation due to their industry could use to attract job seekers. Drawing on the social judgment dimensions that extended from differentiated bias theories and social identity theory, I propose organizations with an employer reputation of operating in a negative reputation industry are unattractive employers due to the low warmth-related traits perceived by job seekers. On the basis of reputation repair literature and social identity theory, I propose two recruitment messaging strategies and introduce a model of the underlying psychological mechanisms responsible for their influences on job seekers’ job pursuit intentions and application decisions. Specifically, the first recruitment messaging strategy is to provide information on organizations’ commitment and behaviors to serve the public’s interests. Job seekers’ expected pride from organizational membership is the underlying psychological mechanism responsible for this strategy’s influence on their job pursuit intentions and application decisions. The second recruitment messaging strategy is to provide information on organizations’ commitment and behaviors to provide intensive employee development opportunities. Job seekers’ expected organization-based self-esteem is the underlying psychological mechanism responsible for this strategy’s influence on their job pursuit intentions and application decisions.