Content, Values, And Environment: Applicant Reactions To Job Descriptions

Abstract

The research on job descriptions is limited and information regarding applicant reactions to job descriptions is even scarcer. The current research hypothesized that after reading job content information, an applicant's decision to apply or not apply for a job rests on the organizational values and work environment information included in the job description. Participants were presented with four job descriptions with varying levels of job content, organizational values, and work environment information and were asked to indicate which description would make them most and least likely to apply for the job and why. The results showed that the job description containing information on job content, organizational values, and the work environment (job description #4) was most favored among participants, receiving the highest ratings compared to job descriptions #1 and #2, while the job description containing only job content information (job description #1) was least favored among participants, receiving the lowest ratings compared to the remaining three job descriptions. Other findings are discussed as well as the limitations of the study and future directions.