What is it about?
This study looks at how job seekers' friends influence their perceptions and decisions during the hiring process. When people apply for jobs, they often talk to their friends about their experiences and opinions regarding the companies they are applying to. Our research and findings suggest that if a job seeker's friends think they would be a good fit for a company, this can shape the job seeker's own thoughts and actions toward that company. This research also reveals that the more connected the job seeker is within their friend group (meaning they have strong relationships with many people), the stronger this influence becomes. In other words, if a job seeker is well-connected, their friends' opinions are even more likely to affect how they see their fit with the company and their decision to accept a job offer. In summary, the study highlights the significant impact that friends' perceptions of fit can have on a job seeker's experience during recruitment, especially if the job seeker is well-connected in their social network.
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Why is it important?
Our findings shed light on the important influence the social context (and social network) can have on a person during recruitment--particularly as it relates to person-organization fit, friends' perceptions of fit, and the influence these social sources exert on job applicants. This research is significant because fit during recruitment is not just about the interaction between the applicant (person) and the employer (organization) for P-O fit, rather, it's also about how external social influences shape applicants and impact their job search and decisions.
Perspectives
Working on this research with my co-author, Brian Swider, was an incredible experience--both intellectually and personally. The opportunity to explore the dynamics of social networks and their influence on fit during recruitment was fascinating. Specifically, this research provided us with the opportunity to dive deeper into a relatively under-examined area within the fit and recruitment literature that also presents significant practical implications for applicants and recruiting organizations. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important area of research and I look forward to seeing how our findings might influence future research.
Dave Sullivan
University of Houston
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The influence of friends’ person-organization fit during recruitment., Journal of Applied Psychology, August 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/apl0001226.
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