How job crafters are selected during recruitment: An invisible filter based on job crafting experiences and applicant gender

Abstract

Job crafting has become increasingly ubiquitous and is welcomed by employers. For this reason, job candidates are motivated to enumerate their crafting experiences to impress recruiters. When included in a resume, job crafting experience describes proactive endeavors by applicants that convey cues about their job-related skills and potential employability. This research explores how and when candidates’ job crafting experience is favored by recruiters and leads to a hiring recommendation. Based on two pilot studies and three experiments involving different types of job offers, we found that recruiters tend to hire approaching crafters rather than avoidant crafters. Moreover, in line with the role congruity theory, we predict and find that job crafting experience is stereotypically ascribed to crafter gender. In particular, recruiters preferred male approaching crafters over their female counterparts because they perceived the former as better fitting for the job. These findings thus highlight an integrative bias that combines candidate gender with the candidate’s specific job crafting experience.