The Influence of Recruiter Characteristics and Organizational Recruitment Support on Perceived Recruiter Effectiveness: Views from Applicants and Recruiters

Abstract

There is very limited information available about whether organizational recruitment practices influence the impressions made by recruiters on job applicants. In response to the scarcity of two-sided information about recruitment processes, the present study obtained data directly from 1571 applicants and 216 matched recruiters who interviewed them. Results suggest that, similar to previous research, a large proportion of variance in applicants' overall impressions of recruiters could be explained as a function of their impressions about more specific recruiter characteristics and behaviors, particularly perceived concern for the applicant and information given to applicants, and enthusiasm regarding the job vacancy. In addition, recruiters' self-perceptions of overall effectiveness were also highly predictable on the basis of more specific self-perceptions, particularly self-perceived interpersonal effectiveness. However, applicants' perceptions of recruiter effectiveness were not well predicted by recruiters' self-perceptions of behavior, or by reported organizational recruitment support. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.