Don't just tell me, show me: Impacting perceptions of organizational attraction and fit using activating LGBT diversity signals

Abstract

To appeal to traditionally hard‐to‐reach populations such as the LGBT community, many organizations have made diversity and inclusion a focal point of their recruitment messaging. However, extant research provides little evidence of the effectiveness of this messaging for its intended and non‐intended targets. Building upon a proposed signaling theory typology, we suggest that activating signals—signals that show how diversity and inclusion are actively embodied or “activated” through organizational practices—are more effective than pointing signals—signals that merely tell an individual that diversity and inclusion is valued. After validating a collection of individual diversity signals using this typology, we test our theory across multiple studies. In Study 1, we focus specifically on LGBT job seekers and conduct an experiment to examine the degree to which various LGBT diversity signals on a fictional company website influence initial assessments of organizational attraction and person‐organization fit. In Study 2, we replicate and extend Study 1 by demonstrating how the positive effects of LGBT diversity signals are similar in a sample of non‐LGBT job seekers. Finally, in Study 3, we extend the generalizability of our theorizing using a sample of recent job seekers and real organizational websites.

When words are not enough: The combined effects of autism meta‐stereotypes and recruitment practices aimed at attracting autistic job‐seekers

“…Whereas prior studies suggest that evidence-based/activating signals have a greater influence on applicant attraction than expressed/pointing signals do (Bradley et al, 2023;Wilton et al, 2020), work in this area also suggests that organizations that provide both types of signals are viewed most positively by respondents in the target group. For example, Windscheid et al (2016) found pro-female diversity statements only increased women's attraction to the organization when accompanied by evidence that the board of directors was gender-balanced.…”

“…Across multiple studies, they found that among Black job seekers, evidence-based cues resulted in significantly higher perceptions of fit, authenticity, and expected work performance and significantly lower perceptions of diversity dishonesty (beliefs that an organization was misleading about the extent to which racial diversity is valued and supported). Bradley et al (2023) relied on a similar rationale, but with different nomenclature-that is, pointing signals that tell a candidate that diversity is valued, versus activating signals that show a candidate that diversity is valued-in their study of recruitment of LGBT candidates.…”

“…Findings from this research suggest that representation, particularly at higher organizational levels, serves an important signaling function to candidates from marginalized groups (c.f., Avery, 2003;Windscheid et al, 2016). However, Bradley et al (2023) recently found that other cues about an organizations' diversity efforts, such as an affinity group for the candidate's identity, also serve as a signal about the organization's enacted commitment to diversity. Evidence-based/activating signals that do not rely on representation are particularly important in understanding the attraction of individuals whose marginalized identities are not visible.…”

“…Second, in keeping with notion that autistic candidates typically avoid disclosure, the current paper focuses on organizational practices that signal an autism‐friendly workplace, but that do not require disclosure. In particular, drawing from the broader literature on applicant attraction/signaling theory (c.f., Highhouse et al, 1999; Rynes et al, 1991) and the diversity literature on the importance of both expressed and evidence‐based cues of commitment to diversity (Bradley, Moergan, Roumpi, & Simon, 2023; Wilton et al, 2020; Windscheid et al, 2016), we posit that certain organizational practices serve a signaling function to autistic job seekers, that the organization takes a genuine interest in them and that they would fit and be successful at the organization. In particular, this study examines the role of diversity statements (an expressed cue) and the work environment (an evidenced‐based cue) on applicants' expectations of fit, and in turn, job pursuit intentions.…”