Losing and Regaining Organizational Attractiveness During the Recruitment Process: A Multiple-Segment Factorial Vignette Study

How applicants’ perceptions of organizational attractiveness (OA) change over the recruitment process and whether OA, once lost, can ever be regained, has hardly been investigated. Therefore, drawing on justice signaling theories, we examined effects treatment (fair vs. unfair), re-evaluation (positive negative), outcome (offer rejection) OA. Results from a multiple-segment factorial vignette study (N = 193 employees) showed reduction in OA (67%) after applicants were treated unfairly. Up to 24% this loss was regained subsequent stages through positive by being offered job. The results also (52%) for who fairly but re-evaluated their experience negatively received rejection. Thus, one good may not enough attract applicants, understanding combined effect experiences is even more important than single experience.