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Anticipating the future: Job seeker's evaluation of employer attractiveness during organizational change

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Establishing strong person–environment fit is crucial for recruitment but becomes complex when changing organizations seek employees aligned with a future state rather than current characteristics. Integrating the organizational change, signaling, and person–environment fit literature, we extend the understanding of attraction mechanisms during organizational change by conceptualizing person–environment fit as dynamic evolving alongside organizational change, shaping job seekers’ perceptions of employer attractiveness based on anticipated fit. Findings from a metric conjoint experiment involving 126 job seekers reveal that signaling proactive change enhances employer attractiveness, particularly for individuals with high openness to change. Anticipated fit plays a critical role, with organizational culture exerting the strongest influence, followed by leadership style and career development opportunities. These findings underscore the importance of strategic signaling in attracting talent during organizational change.

Source: European Management Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2025.09.002

Authors: Franziska Kriener, Mirjam Nicole Streeb, Sebastian Fischer, Matthias Baum

Institutions: University of Bayreuth, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Employer Branding and e-HRM

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,160