Organizational Web Sites: Web Site Content and Style as Determinants of Organizational Attraction

Abstract

Organizational web sites have become a primary source of information for job seekers. To date, no research has attempted to determine which aspects of organizational web sites most influence job-seeker attraction to an organization. The current paper reports the results of two studies that examined how perceptions of organizational web site content (compensation, organizational culture, and training opportunities) and style (aesthetics and usability) influence organizational attraction. The present findings demonstrate that both the content and style of organizational web sites are important precursors of organizational attraction. These findings are discussed both in terms of their practical implications for designing effective recruitment web sites and their implications for future empirical work on organizational recruitment activities.

The Importance of the Interface between Humans and Computers on the Effectiveness of eHRM

“…For example, research has found that the design of the recruitment interface (e.g., aesthetic appeal, navigability, ease of use, customizable experience) can improve applicant perceptions of firms and their intention to apply for a position with them (Chapman, Uggerslev, Carroll, Piasentin, & Jones, 2005;Cober, Brown, Levy, Cober & Keeping, 2003;Zusman & Landis, 2002). Beyond these initial findings, we believe that a richer understanding of HCI and interface design can further improve e-recruiting outcomes.…”

Analysis and Evaluation of the Largest 500 Family Firms’ Websites through PLS-SEM Technique

“…In practice, these include the message content, its ability to drive interactions between the website and their visitors, and the extent to which it provides rich sensory information [28]. Specifically, Cober, Brown, Keeping, and Levy [29,30] make a distinction between factors of content, form and functionality:…”

“…Thus, the function of a website lies in its interactivity [34] and usability [41] converging, in the same way that designers must balance between the need to entertain and engage the user of a site with the need to accurately deliver and process the information contained therein [38]. Functionality can be defined according to a number of variables such as its degree of navigability [29], enjoyment [42] and effectiveness [43].…”

Timeliness is Key to the Candidate Experience

“…We focus on applicant's impressions of the functionality (i.e., perceived usability) of the company website (Cober, Brown, Keeping, & Levy, 2004), but we generalize this further to include any engagement with the organization through other sources of technology as well. The perceived usability of an organization's website has been shown to affect overall level of attraction as well as likelihood to recommend the organization to friends (Cober, Brown, Levy, Cober, & Keeping, 2003), and intentions to pursue employment have been shown to be affected by organizational website usability (Thompson, Braddy, & Wuensch, 2008). Thus, more positive impressions of technology usability should lead to greater attraction.…”