The effect of person-organization fit feedback via recruitment web sites on applicant attraction

We adopted a person-organization (P-O) fit framework to examine applicant attraction to an organization in the context of Web-based recruitment. A total of 121 undergraduate business students participated in a two-stage study first by completing a paper-and-pencil survey and second, by visiting a fictitious recruitment Web site in which the researchers manipulated the fit feedback information participants received. Levels of participants' subjective P-O fit and P-O fit feedback information were found to be positively related to attraction. That is, participants with high subjective P-O fit perceptions and participants who received high P-O fit feedback information reported higher applicant attraction. Furthermore, the interaction between P-O fit feedback information and whether the P-O fit feedback information was consistent with participants' subjective P-O fit was significantly related to applicant attraction. Implications of Web-based recruitment with real-time feedback are offered. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.