The Impact of Recruiter Political Skill and Organization Reputation on Applicant Attraction

Researchers have identified various recruiter and organization characteristics that individually impact recruitment effectiveness. The present study examined applicants’ attraction to organizations based on political skill of the recruiter and the reputation of the organization. Results from a 2 x 2 experimental (N = 576) study hypothesized, and found support for, the interaction between recruiter political skill and organization reputation, demonstrating that applicants’ attraction to organizations increases as organization reputation increases for recruiters high in political skill, but not for recruiters low in political skill. Contributions of these results to theory and research, strengths and limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.