| Demographic changes and labor shortages are having a dramatic effect on the current recruitment practices of organizations. The purpose of this investigation is to broaden our understanding of the recruitment process by exploring the reactions of racially different job seekers to information about an organization's demographic composition. In order to accomplish this goal, the study takes a comprehensive look at the impact of this type of information on the reactions of African Americans and Whites. Various types of demographic information, such as the percentage of minorities and the racial makeup of the leadership are examined in this experiment.; In this 2 (company minority composition) × 2 (minority management representation) experiment, 206 participants were asked to assume the role of a job seeker. Participants reviewed the recruitment brochures of mock organizations. Fictional companies were rated for organizational attractiveness and organizational image. In sum, the study's results show that specific diversity cues spillover into the recruitment process. Although the results related to each independent variable were mixed, there was strong support found for their cumulative effects, especially when the information in signals was consistent. Furthermore, these findings show that diversity signals which indicate similarity do not always lead to more positive reactions from minority job seekers. But rather, it suggests that diversity cues have different signaling values to applicants. Contributions and suggestions for research are provided. |
