The third influence on recruitment outcomes is the recruiter – including this person’s characteristics and the way he or she behaves.
The recruiter affects the nature of both the job vacancy and the applicants generated.
Characteristics of the Recruiter
1. In general, applicants respond more positively to recruiters whom they perceive as warm and informative. The impact of other characteristics of recruiters including their age, sex, and race, is complex and inconsistent.
Behavior of the Recruiter
1. Many studies have looked at how well realistic job previews – background information about jobs’ positive and negative qualities – can help organizations minimize turnover among new employees.
2. For affecting whether people choose to take a job, the recruiter seems less important than an organization’s personnel policies that directly affect the job’s features.
Enhancing the Recruiter’s Impact
1. Although recruiters may have little influence on job choice, this does not mean recruiters cannot have an impact. Researchers have tried to find conditions in which recruiters do make a difference. Based on this research, an organization can take several steps to increase the impact that recruiters have on the people they recruit such as:
a. Can provide timely feedback
b. Can avoid behaving in ways that convey the wrong impressions about the organization