Varying the content of job advertisements - The effects of message specificity

Organizations trying to attract job applicants face a trade-off in the design of their recruiting advertisements. The use of general ads that include limited job attribute specificity has the potential to appeal to a wide array of job applicants and to increase the size of the applicant pool. However, such advertisements may also increase the number of unqualified or inappropriate applicants pursuing employment, and may be unappealing to job candidates who are highly focused in their job search strategies. Using a three-factor experimental design, two studies examine the impact of providing specific/general information on three position facets (i.e., the company, the job itself, and the work context) on a series of dependent variables. Results suggest that all three facets of message specificity impact, to varying degrees, individuals' opinions about the ad, perceived appropriateness of the job, attitudes toward the ad and company, as well as intentions to complete the job application process.