Exploring the Influence of Organizational Culture, Benefits, and Diversity Statements on Talent Attraction in Startups
Disciplines
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Startups can face significant challenges when attracting new talent due to their less established reputation and job seekers’ perceived uncertainty regarding their career prospects. Recruitment webpages are a key tool for startups to project an appealing organizational image to potential candidates, typically by showcasing the company’s culture, employee benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. The study aims to explore the impact of organizational culture (masculine vs. feminine), types of employee benefits (family-friendly vs. financial wellness), and diversity cues (surface-level vs. deep-level) on job seekers’ attraction to startups. Drawing on signaling theory, our main research questions are: (1) how do organizational culture attributes (masculine vs. feminine), types of employee benefits (family-friendly vs. financial wellness benefits), and diversity cues (surface-level vs. deep-level diversity) on recruitment webpages affect job seekers’ attraction to and evaluation of startup companies? (2) how do individual differences (e.g., demographics, personality traits) among job seekers moderate such effects? To address these questions, we propose a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subject online experiment using Qualtrics, with approximately 350 job seekers recruited via Prolific. Participants will provide information about their demographics and personality traits before reviewing a fictional startup's “Careers” page, which will present different combinations of culture, benefits, and diversity statements. The participants will then complete a survey measuring person-organization fit, organizational attraction, perceived legitimacy of the company, etc. Data collection is set to conclude in October 2024. We will analyze the data using MANCOVA and multiple regression analyses to assess both main (e.g., greater attraction to startups with a feminine culture) and moderating effects, (e.g., surface-level diversity attracting more minority job seekers; family-friendly benefits appealing more to women). The insights gained will offer practical guidance for startups in designing effective recruitment strategies, ultimately helping them become employers of choice.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dianhan Zheng
Exploring the Influence of Organizational Culture, Benefits, and Diversity Statements on Talent Attraction in Startups
Startups can face significant challenges when attracting new talent due to their less established reputation and job seekers’ perceived uncertainty regarding their career prospects. Recruitment webpages are a key tool for startups to project an appealing organizational image to potential candidates, typically by showcasing the company’s culture, employee benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. The study aims to explore the impact of organizational culture (masculine vs. feminine), types of employee benefits (family-friendly vs. financial wellness), and diversity cues (surface-level vs. deep-level) on job seekers’ attraction to startups. Drawing on signaling theory, our main research questions are: (1) how do organizational culture attributes (masculine vs. feminine), types of employee benefits (family-friendly vs. financial wellness benefits), and diversity cues (surface-level vs. deep-level diversity) on recruitment webpages affect job seekers’ attraction to and evaluation of startup companies? (2) how do individual differences (e.g., demographics, personality traits) among job seekers moderate such effects? To address these questions, we propose a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subject online experiment using Qualtrics, with approximately 350 job seekers recruited via Prolific. Participants will provide information about their demographics and personality traits before reviewing a fictional startup's “Careers” page, which will present different combinations of culture, benefits, and diversity statements. The participants will then complete a survey measuring person-organization fit, organizational attraction, perceived legitimacy of the company, etc. Data collection is set to conclude in October 2024. We will analyze the data using MANCOVA and multiple regression analyses to assess both main (e.g., greater attraction to startups with a feminine culture) and moderating effects, (e.g., surface-level diversity attracting more minority job seekers; family-friendly benefits appealing more to women). The insights gained will offer practical guidance for startups in designing effective recruitment strategies, ultimately helping them become employers of choice.