Recruitment Sources

Initial Research on Recruitment Sources

A significant body of research on recruitment source effects has accumulated over the years. Initial research was primarily descriptive in nature and explored the relationship between recruitment sources and posthire outcomes such as employee satisfaction, retention, and absenteeism. The most consistent finding [Page 671]of this research is that informal sources (referrals in particular but also walk-ins and the rehiring of former employees) tend to have positive associations with posthire outcomes: lower turnover and, in some cases, better work attitudes and job performance.

Recruitment scholars soon began to propose and test explanations for these findings. The two most commonly studied explanations are the individual differences hypothesis and the realistic information hypothesis.

First, regarding individual differences, it has been suggested that different recruitment sources yield individuals with different characteristics. These individual differences ultimately lead to different posthire outcomes. For example, employee referrals might be an effective hiring source because employees choose to refer only individuals who, in their judgment, would be effective employees. This method of screening would produce a group of applicants that is superior to other groups on important job qualifications.

Second, regarding realistic information, it has been proposed that applicants recruited from different sources have access to different information. In particular, individuals recruited through informal sources may have access to more extensive, more specific, or more accurate information about the new job. Having that information might provide greater role clarity and more realistic expectations for those applicants, which, in turn, could lead to better adjustment and therefore better posthire outcomes.

Research on the validity of these explanations has yielded mixed support. In support of the individual differences hypothesis, associations have been found between recruitment sources and individual characteristics such as age, education, experience, and physical abilities. In support of the realistic information hypothesis, informal sources have been associated with greater amounts of realistic information. However, these findings are not universal. Furthermore, relatively few studies have been able to verify that the relationship between recruitment sources and posthire outcomes is mediated by these intervening variables. Some studies found only a modest, if any, relationship between recruitment sources and posthire outcomes.

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