International Journal of Selection and Assessment Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009

E-Recruitment: A study into

applicant perceptions of an
online application system
Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol
Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam, Plantage Muidergracht 12, 1018 TV Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. h.sylva@uva.nl

Little is known about applicant reactions to web-based recruitment and selection

procedures. This study examines applicant perceptions of web-based procedures, based
on a field study among 1360 applicants to a multinational financial services organization
applying for jobs in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium. With respect to
the personal characteristics it was found that external (as opposed to internal), Belgian
(as opposed to Dutch), and Internet savvy (as opposed to less savvy) candidates were
more satisfied with the online application procedure and its features. However, it was
found that features of the website, perceived efficiency and user-friendliness, were by far
the most important determinants of applicant satisfaction. Implications for organiza-
tions and future research on E-recruitment are discussed.

1. Introduction cants originating from three countries in Europe. Be-

fore describing this study, however, it is important to

T echnological innovations in the World Wide Web

have significantly changed employee recruitment
and selection practices over the last decade as recruit-
ing organizations have started to increasingly use this
medium. Yet, research into this phenomenon has some-
what lagged behind these rapid shifts in practice, leaving
our understanding of applicant perceptions of online
application procedures open to question and in demon-
strable need of topical research (Bauer et al., 2006;
Hausknecht, Day, & Thomas, 2004). Despite recent
reviews of applicant reactions and web-based recruit-
ment procedures, research into applicant reactions
specifically to initial recruitment websites remains
notably sparse (Anderson, 2003; Bartram, 2000; Chan
& Schmitt, 2004; Lievens & Harris, 2003). The aim of
the present study was to make a contribution to these
important and emerging issues by evaluating applicant
reactions to an operational Internet-based recruitment
website on the basis of a substantial sample of appli-
Note. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the European
Congress of Work and Organizational Psychology, Stockholm, 2007.
review the trend toward applicant recruitment via
websites by major organizations and to overview the
findings of existing research to date into applicant
reactions to web-based recruitment and selection
procedures.
1.1. Web-based recruitment and assessment
practices
The substantial increase in recruitment activities on the
Internet is no surprise as payoffs can be substantial. It
has been estimated that the movement of recruitment
activities to the World Wide Web can result in financial
savings of up to 90% of the costs of traditional recruit-
ment methods and considerable time savings as the
hiring cycle is reduced by almost 25% (Cappelli, 2001;
Cober, Brown, Blumental, Doverspike, & Levy, 2000;
Freeman, 2002; Lievens & Harris, 2003). Similarly, Inter-
net-based recruitment is also an appealing method for
job seekers, as information can be transmitted imme-
diately, applicants can ‘surf’ organizations’ web-based

& 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.,

9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main St., Malden, MA, 02148, USA
312
recruitment portals from home at any time of day, and
the range of interactive online information possibilities all
provide a highly appealing experience for potential
applicants. The Internet therefore makes it far easier
and quicker for candidates to search and apply for job
positions, to compare organizations online, and to do so
in real-time with responses being returned almost
immediately when they subsequently decide to apply
online. Candidates are thus able to search through
thousands of job postings and apply for various jobs by
simply sending a resume via the Internet. Furthermore,
and importantly, global access to much more information
on organizations from multiple (independent) sources is
now at candidates’ disposal. These technological innova-
tions have generated an enormous shift in the field of
recruitment and have drastically transformed recruit-
ment activities at a pace that research into this quickly
evolving arena has struggled to keep up with (Anderson,
2003; Lievens & Harris, 2003). As Cappelli (2001, p. 139)
stated ‘The labor market . . . has at last become a true
market: wide open, uncontrolled by individual compa-
nies, and unconstrained by geography.’
The evolving labor market may have become more
competitive than ever. Recruiters are increasingly chal-
lenged to acquire and retain talent as labor markets are
changing due to globalization, technological innovation,
and social trends. As a result, personnel selection and
recruitment practices are increasingly characterized by
marketing approaches (Cappelli, 2001; Lievens, Van Dam,
& Anderson, 2002; Liljander, Riel, & Pura, 2002). Orga-
nizational attraction has become vital and job seekers on
the Internet are more and more treated like consumers
(Cober, Brown, Keeping, & Levy, 2004). It seems that a
successful online recruitment system has become a
necessity for organizations who wish to be competitive.
While the implementation of Internet-based recruit-
ment practices and application systems have been widely
embraced by organizations, many outstanding issues with
regard to Internet-based application systems have re-
mained unanswered. Researchers have, for instance, only
recently started to investigate applicant preferences, reac-
tions, and potential adverse impacts on certain groups
(e.g., minority groups) of Internet-based application pro-
cedures (Anderson, 2003; Cober, Brown, Levy, Cober, &
Keeping, 2003; Lievens & Harris, 2003). Other issues, such
as the source of the applicant (internal vs external),
country of origin, and the influence of key demographic
variables such as computer familiarity, age, and previous
experiences with online recruitment procedures, are
equally important but notably under-researched questions.
1.2. Applicant reactions to new technology
A growing body of recent research provides theoretical
and empirical support for the assumption that candidates’
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol
perceptions of corporate career websites and online
application systems are strongly related to organizational
attraction, behavior, decisions to drop out, and attitudes
toward employers and organizations (Anderson, Lievens,
Van Dam, & Ryan, 2004; Cober et al., 2004; Lievens
& Harris, 2003; Ryan, Horvath, & Kriska, 2005; Sinar,
Reynolds, & Paquet, 2003; Williamson, Lepak, & King,
2003). In spite of their practical importance, online
application systems are still a fairly new area for the
conduct of applied research. However, judging from the
extant literature it is apparent that five types of variables in
particular have been found to influence applicant reac-
tions: (I) perceived efficiency and (II) user-friendliness, (III)
information provision, (IV) fairness perceptions, and (V)
Internet selection image. We briefly review each in turn.
1.2.1. Perceived efficiency and user-friendliness
Several studies in different disciplines (consumer and
human–computer interaction literature) have shown
that peripheral cues of online systems (e.g., online
system usability and system speed) have a significant
effect on user attitudes and intentions (Cober et al.,
2003). Furthermore, it has been argued within the
applicant reaction literature that factors without direct
relevance to the organization or the job are still crucial
determinants of organizational attraction (Rynes, Bretz,
& Gerhart, 1991; Turban, 2001). From a theoretical
approach this effect could be explained as signaling
(Cober et al., 2003), or an attribution bias, where job
seekers draw inferences on cues that are most readily
available. In addition, some researchers have found that
job seekers have a heightened attention toward system
usability and time-related cues of online recruitment
and selection tools (Cober et al., 2003; Lievens et al.,
2002). Following this line of reasoning, one could argue
that perceived efficiency and user-friendliness are influ-
ential features that affect the applicant’s perception.
This argument has also been supported in empirical
studies that found significant relations of user-friendli-
ness and efficiency (i.e., perceptions of system speed)
with job seekers’ perceptions of online procedures
(Cober et al., 2003; Liljander et al., 2002; Sinar et al.,
2003; Thompson, Braddy, & Wuensch, 2008). There-
fore, we would expect that perceived user-friendliness
and efficiency will affect applicant satisfaction with
online application procedures.
1.2.2. Information provision
Several studies have indicated that job seekers actively
seek organizational and job-related information (Cober
et al., 2003). In addition, information provision has been
indicated as an important factor in employment-related
contexts as it is part of the applicant’s values and
expectations (Derous, Born, & De Witte, 2004). It
is therefore likely that the amount of information that is
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E-Recruitment
provided to the applicant by the online system con-
tributes to the applicant’s experience.
1.2.3. Fairness perceptions
Furthermore, it has been suggested that information
provision drives fairness heuristics (Bell, Ryan, & Wiech-
mann, 2004; Ployhart & Harold, 2004; Truxillo, Bauer,
Campion, & Paronto, 2002). Harris, Lievens, and Van
Hoye (2004) argued that information presented early in
the selection procedure will affect perceived fairness.
Although the application procedure in this study did not
involve an assessment test, it did involve a screening
situation where job applicants were selected based on
the information they had submitted through the online
application system. According to the organizational
justice literature, fairness perceptions can affect applicant
reactions at this early stage of the selection process. It
can be influenced by various aspects such as information
provision on selection criteria before selection (Lievens,
De Corte, & Brysse, 2003), perceived job relatedness,
and interpersonal treatment (Gilliland, 1993; Truxillo
et al., 2002; Van Vianen, Taris, Scholten, & Schinkel,
2004). Because fairness perceptions have been linked to
various outcome variables, including satisfaction with
application processes and recommendation intentions
(Bauer, Maertz, Dolen, & Campion, 1998; Bell et al.,
2004; Gilliland, 1994), it was expected that these percep-
tions affect the applicant’s overall satisfaction with the
online procedure.
1.2.4. Internet selection image
A fifth variable that might affect the applicant’s satisfac-
tion with the Internet as an application medium is
Internet selection image. This is a construct initially
described by Sinar et al. (2003) and reflects a candi-
date’s image of companies that use the Internet
for applicant selection purposes. Sinar et al. (2003, p.
155) regarded this construct within a cross-organiza-
tional sample as an outcome variable that pertains
to ‘the effects of online selection system properties
on the image of companies using such techniques.’ In
the present study, this construct will be treated as a
predictor variable. We posit that applicant attitudes
toward the use of Internet for selection purposes might
affect their perceptions of online application systems
and their satisfaction with Internet-based systems.
Following this line of argument, we would expect that
perceived user-friendliness, perceived efficiency (i.e. per-
ceived system speed), fairness perceptions, information
provision, and Internet selection image will affect the
applicant’s overall process satisfaction with the online
application system. The list of these predictors is not
meant to be exhaustive but intended to cover and
explore the main aspects of online application systems
that are likely to have an impact on applicant satisfaction
with Internet-based application systems.
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313
1.3. Differences in perceptions among applicants
The second goal of the study was to explore whether
group differences in applicant perceptions exist. Most
studies have revealed that applicants generally hold a
positive attitude toward the use of Internet for recruit-
ment and selection purposes (Mead, 2001; Richman-
Hirsch, Olson-Buchanan, & Drasgow, 2000; Salgado &
Moscoso, 2003; Weiss & Barbeite, 2001; Zusman &
Landis, 2002). However, some studies indicate that
group differences exist among applicant pools that
may cause them to evaluate and process cues in
different ways. Inequality of skills, computer experi-
ence, Internet efficacy, and openness to experience are
some examples of variables that are likely to influence
applicant perceptions and reactions to online systems
(Anderson, 2003; Bartram, 2000; Wiechmann & Ryan,
2003; Williamson et al., 2003). Sinar et al. (2003, p. 150)
hypothesized, for example, that it is ‘unlikely that all
candidates attend to the same characteristics of Inter-
net-based systems or that these characteristics influ-
ence all candidates in similar ways.’ Similarly, Lievens and
Harris (2003) hypothesized that more experienced job
seekers would use peripheral processing less frequently
than first-time job seekers. In line with these arguments
Murphy and Tam (2004) discussed a Bayesian perspec-
tive suggesting that applicants with more experience
will be less easily swayed by experiences in the job
search process than inexperienced applicants as they
have more information about the context.
Differences in applicant reactions might also exist
due to age and gender differences, which have been
studied more widely. However, studies have produced
quite contradictory findings. Some studies have identi-
fied gender and age differences in perceived user-
friendliness, reticence about disclosure of personal
information on the Internet, and efficacy (Czaja &
Sharit, 1998; Schumacher & Morahan-Martin, 2001;
Sinar & Reynolds, 2001; Weiss & Barbeite, 2001). These
differences in attitudes toward the use of computers
and the Internet point to a so-called digital-divide or e-
loadedness (Sharf, 2000), the effects of which might
generalize to Internet-based application procedures and
online test performance (Lievens & Harris, 2003). Yet,
there are also studies that contradict these findings or
at least show mixed results with regard to age and
gender differences in perceptions of computer-based
procedures (Cober et al., 2003; Heimrath & Goulding,
2001; Potosky & Bobko, 2004; Sinar et al., 2003). These
ambiguous findings indicate a need for further research
in order to gain a better understanding of possible
group differences among applicant reactions.
As a consequence of technological innovations, inter-
nal applicants are more and more often urged to apply
through application systems that are similar to those
used for external applicants (Cappelli, 2001). Especially
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
314
organizations with many employees have started to use
online application systems for their internal applicants
in order to benefit from the many advantages that
information technology has to offer. However, to the
best of our knowledge, no research has been conducted
on potential differences in perceptions of Internet-based
application systems between external (entry-level) and
internal (promotion) applicants. Yet, it is conceivable that
internal applicants have different expectations and are
influenced by different aspects and values than external
applicants. One of the obvious differences is the basic
discrepancy in contextual information and the presence
of an enduring commitment to the organization. Internal
applicants are undoubtedly more knowledgeable about
the culture, structure, values, working conditions, and
perhaps the application procedures of the organization.
Internal applicants may therefore hold different expecta-
tions and different frames of reference. This is likely to
result in different information processing, attributions,
and interpretations with regard to the application process
and treatment (Chan & Schmitt, 2004; Fiske & Taylor,
1991; Ryan & Ployhart, 2000).
1.4. Present study: aims and objectives
In summary, the goal of this study was to quantify and
identify determinants of applicant satisfaction with an
online application system. The aim was to identify the
relative importance of variables that affect the applicant’s
satisfaction and to construct a model that includes charac-
teristics related to the online application system (namely,
perceived efficiency, user-friendliness, information provi-
sion, fairness perceptions, and Internet selection image)
while simultaneously accounting for characteristics of the
applicant (age, gender, ethnic minority status, prior ex-
perience with online applications, Internet familiarity,
country, and applicant source). First, we examined appli-
cant perceptions of the online application system while
controlling for characteristics of the applicant. Second, we
explored whether different applicant subgroups evaluate
and process cues in different ways.
2. Method
2.1. Participants
Participants in the study were 1360 applicants who
applied online for a position in a multinational financial
organization. The organization has more than 100,000
employees, is one of the 20 largest financial institutions
worldwide, and serves customers in all regions of
the world except Africa. Data were collected during a
2-month period, in which a total of 5755 candidates
applied for a position, yielding a response rate of 24%.
Although demographic data on non-respondents was
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol
not available due to privacy issues, the composition of
the sample indicated a wide variety of applicants in
terms of age, education level, job type, and employment
status. Candidates applied for various vacancies at the
organization ranging from traineeships to senior man-
agement positions. Vacancies were available in different
departments, such as corporate banking, asset manage-
ment, logistics, information technology, human resources,
sales, and administration. The sample consisted of both
internal (N ¼ 441) and external (N ¼ 919) applicants who
had applied online through a Dutch, Belgian, or British
career site of the organization. Participants applied for a
position in the Netherlands (57.8%), Belgium (39.6%), or
the United Kingdom (2.6%) over a 2-month period during
which the website was ‘live’ and applicant reaction mea-
sures were integrated into the design of the website.
Participation was completely anonymous and on a volun-
tary basis. The average age of respondents was 33
(SD ¼ 9.6) years and 58% of the sample was male. Of
the respondents, 10.9% belonged to an ethnic minority
group. Participants had completed a high school degree
(22.3%), a professional or academic bachelor (43.3 %), or
a master’s degree or higher (34.4%). Most of the
applicants were employed (68.4%), while 18.5% were
unemployed and 13.0% were in training or education.
More than 80% of respondents had previously used the
Internet to search or apply for a job.
The sample derived from applicants who applied for a
job position in the United Kingdom was eliminated
from any further analysis due to its restrictively small
sample size (N ¼ 35). This resulted in a total sample of
1325 applicants.
2.2. Procedure
The researchers did not have access to the actual
application data due to stringent privacy regulations.
Rather, data on the measures were collected using an
online questionnaire that was administered subsequent
to the online application procedure. In order to delin-
eate the boundary conditions for the generalization of
the findings of this study we will first describe the data
that were collected as part of the application procedure
followed by a description of the research questionnaire.
2.2.1. Application procedure
Applicants could search for positions on the corporate
career site. Here, candidates could find general informa-
tion on the organization and its conditions of employ-
ment. More specifically, information could be found on
the organization’s culture, structure, development oppor-
tunities, benefits, and profiles of coworkers. The website
façade was consistent with the principle of unity (Cober
et al., 2004), showing consistency in the use of colors,
shapes, and textures. Features such as images and videos
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E-Recruitment
on the company’s scope and personal experiences of
employees were integrated.
Detailed information on a job was shown when job
positions were selected by the applicant. Subsequently,
candidates could commence with the online application.
All applicants (external and internal) had to fill out an
online form after they had accepted a privacy state-
ment. The form consisted of information on contact
details, date of birth, gender, education, and qualifica-
tions obtained from college, work experience, and
skills. Depending on the position being applied for,
this form also asked the applicant to supply references.
All applicants had the opportunity to give additional
information and to upload personal documents such as
a curriculum vitae or an accompanying letter.
2.2.2. Research questionnaire
After completion and submission of the online applica-
tion, a questionnaire was presented in a pop-up window
on a separate web page. This questionnaire was also
accessible via a link which could be found in an email
confirming the receipt of the applicant’s online applica-
tion. By doing so, respondents could complete the
questionnaire at a time and place that was most
convenient for them. In addition, this could generate
more respondents as some browsers may have blocked
the pop-up window that should have appeared directly
after submission. The confirmation email was sent
immediately after the online application had been
submitted. A short introductory text accompanied
the link to the online survey. This procedure was
identical for all applicants, regardless of the country
and applicant source (internal or external).
2.3. Measures
The questionnaire was preceded by a short introduc-
tory text. Anonymity and confidentiality of the partici-
pants’ responses were emphasized. It was explicitly
mentioned that responses could not affect the selection
process in any way and that the company did not have
access to individual responses. The questionnaire was
assessed in a non-proctored environment as all instruc-
tions were on the computer. It took respondents
approximately 10 min to complete the questionnaire.
The questionnaire was offered in the language corre-
sponding with the preceding online application process
(English, Dutch, or French). Translations were made from
English to Dutch and French, which were checked by
native speakers. All responses were assessed on the
following seven-point Likert scale (1 ¼ completely disagree,
2 ¼ mostly disagree, 3 ¼ slightly disagree, 4 ¼ neutral,
5 ¼ slightly agree, 6 ¼ mostly agree, and 7 ¼ completely
agree), with the exception of items on general back-
ground information. The questionnaire covered several
topics which resulted in a total of 38 items.
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315
2.3.1. Demographics
Demographics and general information about the on-
line application, such as technical aspects were assessed
using multiple-choice items. Demographics such as
gender, age, ethnic group, highest level of education,
internal/external applicant, and current work status
were assessed for exploratory reasons. In order to
control for prior experience with online applications
the following item was included: ‘Have you previously
searched or applied for positions using the net?’ (Sinar
et al., 2003). Responses could be provided on an ordinal
scale (1 ¼ never, 2 ¼ once, 3 ¼ two to four times, 4 ¼ more
than four times). Furthermore, one item was included to
assess the familiarity of respondents with the use of
Internet ‘I’m familiar in using the Internet.’ Responses
were measured on the seven-point Likert scale, as
described above.
2.3.2. Online application process and system
To assess user-friendliness, perceived efficiency, Inter-
net selection image, and overall process satisfaction the
measures of Sinar et al. (2003) were obtained. Each
construct was assessed by three items except for
overall process satisfaction, which was assessed by
two items. Where applicable, the original wording
‘computerized process’ was replaced by ‘online applica-
tion process’ for consistency throughout the question-
naire. Example items are ‘The online application
process was a user-friendly way of completing the
application’ (user-friendliness); ‘Doing the application
using the Internet was a time-saver for me’ (efficiency);
‘I view companies using the Internet to evaluate appli-
cants as more innovative than those who do not’
(Internet selection image); and ‘Overall, I was satisfied
with this application process’ (overall process satisfac-
tion). In addition to these constructs, seven additional
items were included to assess information provision
about the selection criteria, the selection procedure, a
contact name, the job description, and when to expect
a reply on the application.
2.3.3. Fairness
Perceptions of process fairness were measured by two
items (Lievens et al., 2003; Steiner & Gilliland, 1996).
The original wording ‘selection procedure’ was re-
placed by ‘online application procedure’ to make the
items applicable to this study. Questions were reframed
into statements and measured on the seven-point
Likert scale to be consistent throughout. This resulted
in the following two items: ‘I perceive the online
application as an effective procedure for identifying
qualified people for the job that I’m applying for’ and
‘I perceive the online application procedure as a fair
procedure, even if I do not get invited for further
selection.’ At the end of the survey, space was provided
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
316 Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol

for remarks or suggestions and respondents were
thanked for their participation.
3. Analyses and results
3.1 Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)
A CFA was performed to test for the construct validity
of the measures (efficiency, user-friendliness, informa-
tion provision, process fairness, and Internet selection
image). All 18 items were used as indicators. The five-
factor CFA model fit was: w2 (125) ¼ 1264.12, po.01,
root mean square error of approximation
(RMSEA) ¼ .09, comparative fit index (CFI) ¼ .88. Clo-
ser examination revealed two items on information
provision with factor loadings o.50. These items were
removed which resulted in a five-item measure for
information provision. Furthermore, one item for effi-
ciency and one item for Internet selection image were
removed due to cross loadings. The five-factor CFA
model was tested with 14 indicators and resulted in a
satisfactory model fit: w2 (67) ¼ 58,893, po.01,
RMSEA ¼ .08, CFI ¼ .93. Factor loadings ranged from
.64 to.87 (user-friendliness), from .81 to .84 (efficiency),
from .57 to .80 (information provision), from .67 to .84
(process fairness), and from .80 to .87 (Internet selec-
tion image). Inter-factor correlations were between .23
(efficiency, information provision) and .64 (Internet
selection image, process fairness). The w2 comparison
revealed that the 14-item model fits the data signifi-
cantly better than the 18-item model: w2 (58) ¼ 675.19,
po.01. CFAs were also performed for both countries
separately and revealed an acceptable fit for both
countries. The detailed CFA results are available upon
request from the first author. For further analyses we
therefore used the 14-item model, that is, the five-item
measure of information provision, a two-item measure
for efficiency and a two-item measure for Internet
selection image.
Means, standard deviations, Cronbach’s a’s and cor-
relations among the variables are presented in Table 1.
All Cronbach’s a values were over .70 showing sufficient
reliability for all scales. Before further analyses, vari-
ables were examined for multicollinearity (e.g., verifying
that an independent variable is not a linear function of
other independent variables). In accordance with Ta-
bachnick and Fidell (2006), correlations between inde-
pendent variables were below .70, thus showing no
evident problem with collinearity. In addition, results
showed no multicollinearity according to the criteria
suggested by Belsley, Kuh, and Welsch (1980) as the
conditioning index was not 430 for any given dimen-
sion coupled with variance proportions 4.50 for at
least two different variables. All predictor variables
(perceived efficiency, Internet selection image, user-
friendliness, process fairness, and information provi-
sion) were significantly correlated with overall process
satisfaction (po.01).
3.2. Heuristic model
A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to
investigate whether characteristics related to the online
application system (i.e., efficiency, user-friendliness, in-
formation provision, process fairness, and Internet
selection image) affect overall process satisfaction
(Table 2). Prior experience, Internet familiarity, appli-
cant source, and country were entered as control
variables in the first step, because these variables had
a non-zero correlation with the criterion and had
significant correlations with one or more of the
predictor variables (LeBreton, Hargis, Griepentrog,

Table 1. Means, standard deviations, reliabilities, and correlations (sample size ranges from 1141 to 1325, with a median of 1300)
M SD 1 2 3a 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1. Age 33.39 9.59 (–)

2. Gender (1 ¼ M; 2 ¼ F) – – .16** (–)
3. Minority status – – .10** .08** (–)
(1 ¼ No; 2 ¼ Yes)
4. Prior experience – – .07** .03 .10** (–)
5. Internet familiarity 6.47 .96 .07 .10** .01 .11** (–)
6. Applicant source – – .42** .05 .01 .23** .18** (–)
(1 ¼ Internal; 2 ¼ External)
7. Country (1 ¼ NL; 2 ¼ BE) – – .19** .08** a .12** .04 .27** (–)
8. Efficiency 5.25 1.51 .00 .02 .05 .05 .18** .10** .24** (.82)
9. Internet selection image 5.11 1.37 .04 .02 .07 .08** .21** .15** .15** .48** (.81)
10. User-friendliness 5.19 1.25 .06 .00 .09** .04 .23** .25** .20** .54** .39** (.85)
11. Process fairness 4.99 1.24 .04 .01 .05 .02 .21** .18** .09** .46** .49** .47** (.72)
12. Information provision 4.47 1.09 .01 .01 .08 .06 .12** .17** .05 .19** .21** .38** .35** (.80)
13. Overall process satisfaction 5.40 1.27 .05 .01 .07 .06** .26** .18** .23** .73** .60** .68** .62** .29** (.82)
Notes: aThe researchers were not permitted to collect minority status data in Belgium; therefore these correlations are based on the Dutch
sample only (sample sizes range from 711 to 776, with a median of 770). **po.01 (two-tailed). Scale reliabilities (Cronbach’s a’s) are in
parentheses on the diagonal.

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Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009 & 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
E-Recruitment 317

Oswald, & Ployhart, 2007). Age, gender, and minority
status were omitted because there was no significant
correlation with the criterion. According to LeBreton
et al. (2007), researchers should omit such variables
from regression analyses ‘because the lack of a signifi-
cant bivariate relationship is indicative of a specification
error’ (LeBreton et al., 2007, p. 477). All predictors
with the exception of information provision had a
significant effect on overall process satisfaction
(po.01). This model accounted for 61% of the variance
beyond the control variables.
In addition to the regression analysis, relative weights
were computed to make assertions regarding the relative
importance of the predictors of overall process satisfac-
tion (Johnson, 2000; LeBreton et al., 2007; Thompson et
al., 2008). Relative weights (e), which sum up to the
model R2, were computed on the basis of a syntax
obtained from J. W. Johnson (personal communication,
July 14, 2006). These statistics permit the evaluation of
the relative weight of each predictor in a more balanced
and thorough manner by considering both the unique
contribution of each variable by itself and in combination
with the other variables (Johnson, 2000; LeBreton et al.,
2007). Rescaled relative weights reflect the percentage of
predicted criterion variance (e Pct.) attributed to each
predictor (Table 2). This analysis suggests that efficiency
(e Pct. ¼ 31%) was the most important predictor of
applicant satisfaction, followed by user-friendliness (e
Pct. ¼ 25%), process fairness (e Pct. ¼ 18%), and Internet
selection image (e Pct. ¼ 18%). As a further exploration
relative weights were also computed for subgroups that
differentiated between (1) applicants with high or low
levels of prior experience, (2) applicants with high or low
levels of Internet familiarity, (3) internal vs external
applicants, and (4) Dutch vs Belgian applicants. The way
in which the sample was split for each of these variables is
described in greater detail below. The analyses (available
upon request from the first author) revealed similar
patterns of predictor importance as the full sample
model. That is, efficiency consistently ranks as the most
important predictor followed by user-friendliness.
Next, we conducted analyses to examine (1) mean
differences between applicant subgroups and (2)
whether the grouping variable moderated the relation-
ships between the website characteristics and overall
process satisfaction. Among the variables of interest
were age, gender, ethnic minority status, prior experi-
ence, Internet familiarity, country, and applicant source.
Because age, gender, and ethnic minority status did
not correlate significantly with the predictor variables
and overall process satisfaction, we chose only to
pursue these analyses for prior experience, Internet
familiarity, country, and applicant source. Prior experi-
ence and Internet familiarity were highly negatively
skewed thereby violating the assumption of normal
distribution. Therefore, these variables were dichoto-
mized. For prior experience this resulted in a group
of applicants indicating that they had applied for a
job online less than five times (N ¼ 700) and a group
of applicants who had applied for a job online five or
more times (N ¼ 618). For Internet familiarity this
resulted in a group of applicants highly familiar with
the use of Internet (N ¼ 851), i.e., a rating of seven, and
a group of applicants rating themselves less familiar with
the use of Internet (N ¼ 454), i.e., rating themselves less
than seven. Below we first present the one-way ana-
lyses of variance to test whether there were mean
differences in applicant perceptions across the groups.
Means and standard deviations per subgroup are
reported in Table 3.
3.2.1. Prior experience
Analysis of variance showed no significant effects for
prior experience on either the predictors or the out-
come variable. Because of these non-significant differ-
ences, it was decided not to further explore the effects
of this variable.

Table 2. Summary of hierarchical regression analysis for variables predicting process satisfaction (N ¼ 1324), and raw relative
weights (e RW) and rescaled relative weights as percentages (e Pct.) of R2 (R2 ¼ .73)
Variable Step 1 Step 2 Relative weights

B SE B b B SE B b e RW e Pct.

1. Prior experience .00 .03 .00 .02 .02 .02 .00 .1

2. Internet familiaritya .31 .03 .24** .05 .02 .04** .02 2.6
3. Applicant source .23 .07 .09** .04 .04 .02 .01 .8
(1 ¼ Internal; 2 ¼ External)
4. Country (1 ¼ NL; 2 ¼ BE) .50 .07 .20** .08 .04 .03* .02 2.1
5. Efficiency .30 .02 .36** .23 30.8
6. Internet selection image .18 .02 .20** .13 17.7
7. User-friendliness .31 .02 .31** .18 25.1
8. Process fairness .21 .02 .21** .13 18.1
9. Information provision .02 .02 .02 .02 2.7
Notes: R2 ¼ .119** for Step 1; DR2 ¼ .610** for Step 2. *po.05. **po.01.

International Journal of Selection and Assessment

& 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
318 Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol

Table 3. Descriptive statistics for prior experience. Applicant source. Internet familiarity and country
Prior experiencea Applicant source Internet familiaritya Country

Low High Internal External Low High The Belgium

Netherlands

M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) M (SD) M (SD)

Overall process 5.34 (1.28) 5.46 (1.26) 5.07 (1.23) 5.56 (1.26) 5.00 (1.19) 5.61 (1.26) 5.16 (1.30) 5.75 (1.14)
satisfaction
Efficiency 5.22 (1.47) 5.29 (1.55) 5.05 (1.49) 5.36 (1.50) 4.90 (1.38) 5.44 (1.54) 4.95 (1.58) 5.70 (1.27)
Internet selection image 5.03 (1.37) 5.18 (1.37) 4.81 (1.30) 5.25 (1.38) 4.75 (1.22) 5.29 (1.41) 4.94 (1.35) 5.35 (1.36)
User-friendliness 5.18 (1.15) 5.20 (1.26) 4.75 (1.30) 5.41 (1.17) 4.87 (1.20) 5.36 (1.25) 4.98 (1.30) 5.49 (1.11)
Process fairness 5.01 (1.21) 4.98 (1.27) 4.68 (1.25) 5.14 (1.21) 4.66 (1.18) 5.16 (1.24) 4.90 (1.26) 5.13 (1.20)
Information provision 4.50 (1.04) 4.43 (1.15) 4.21 (1.08) 4.61 (1.08) 4.32 (1.07) 4.55 (1.10) 4.43 (1.08) 4.54 (1.12)
N 700 618 441 884 454 851 786 539
Note: Owing to missing values N varied approximately seven cases across the dimensions. aPrior experience and Internet familiarity were
dichotomized because these variables were highly negatively skewed.

3.2.2. Internet familiarity
Analysis of variance showed significant effects for
Internet familiarity on predictor and outcome variables.
Respondents high on Internet familiarity were more
positive on perceived efficiency F(1, 1300) ¼ 38.54,
po.001, Internet selection image F(1, 1299) ¼ 48.17,
po.001, user-friendliness F(1, 1296) ¼ 46.40, po.001,
process fairness F(1, 1299) ¼ 49.48, po.001, informa-
tion provision F(1, 1289) ¼ 12.89, po.001, and overall
process satisfaction F(1, 1299) ¼ 72.64, po.001 com-
pared with respondents who rated themselves rela-
tively low on Internet familiarity.
3.2.3. Internal vs external applicants
Analysis of variance showed significant effects for internal
vs external applicants on predictor and outcome vari-
ables. External applicants were more positive than inter-
nal applicants on perceived efficiency F(1, 1306) ¼ 12.46,
po.001, Internet selection image F(1, 1305) ¼ 31.16,
po.001, user-friendliness F(1, 1303) ¼ 84.89, po.001,
process fairness F(1, 1305) ¼ 41.89, po.001, information
provision F(1, 1296) ¼ 38.32, po.001 and overall process
satisfaction F(1, 1305) ¼ 43.58, po.001.
3.2.4. Between-country differences
Analysis of variance showed cross-country differences
between the Netherlands and Belgium on all predictor
and outcome variables except for information provision
F(1, 1296) ¼ 3.04, p ¼ .08. Results show that respondents
who applied for a job position in Belgium were more
positive compared with respondents who applied for a
job position in the Netherlands on perceived efficiency
F(1, 1306) ¼ 81.94, po.001, Internet selection image
F(1, 1305) ¼ 28.05, po.001, user-friendliness F(1, 1303) ¼
54.57, po.001, process fairness F(1, 1305) ¼ 10.92,
p ¼ .001, and overall process satisfaction F(1, 1305) ¼
71.14, po.001.
In sum, results showed small to moderate differences
for applicants high on Internet familiarity compared
with applicants low on Internet familiarity, for internal
applicants compared with external applicants, and for
applicants who applied for a job in the Netherlands as
opposed to Belgium.
3.2.5. Moderator analyses
Secondly, it was investigated whether prior experience,
Internet familiarity, applicant source, and country mod-
erated the relationships between characteristics related
to the online application system (efficiency, Internet
selection image, user-friendliness, process fairness, and
information provision) and process satisfaction. None
of these relationships were found to be moderated by
prior experience, Internet familiarity, applicant source,
and country in a regression model with the other
predictors entered as covariates. These moderator
analyses (which are available upon request from the
first author) were carried out using an SPSS macro that
was obtained from Newsom (2003).
4. Discussion
Results reported in the present paper address a notably
under-researched but practically important aspect of E-
recruitment procedures within organizations. While
more traditional forms of paper-based recruitment have
received considerable research attention over the years
(e.g., Lievens & Thornton, 2005), these findings thus add
to the limited body of research in selection psychology to
date. To summarize the key results, it was found that:
(1) Applicants reported generally favorable reactions to
the web-based procedure used by the organization.
(2) Ranging from most to least important, efficiency,
user-friendliness, process fairness, and Internet
selection image were identified as determinants of
applicant satisfaction.

International Journal of Selection and Assessment

Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009 & 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
E-Recruitment
(3) Candidates who were external (as opposed to
internal), who applied for a job in Belgium (as
opposed to the Netherlands), or who were highly
(as opposed to less) familiar with the use of Internet
were more positive about the online application
system and its characteristics. Yet, similar patterns
of relative predictor importance emerged across all
subgroups and no moderator effects were found.
We consider each key result below. Limitations of
the study will then be discussed and suggestions for
future research are covered in conclusion.
4.1. General perception of the online application
process
Although the generally positive reactions of job appli-
cants about the Internet recruitment site evaluated in
the present study is perhaps not a surprising finding, it is
nevertheless relevant and encouraging. The application
process is often the first impression job seekers gain
about an organization and its HR policies. These
impressions can strongly affect the applicant’s decisions
and affect the very basis of the psychological contract
between employer and employee (Hausknecht et al.,
2004; Murphy & Tam, 2004). It is therefore crucial that
organizations carefully consider their recruitment and
selection practices. Results of the current study suggest
that applicants, who apply to an organization via an
Internet recruitment platform, are likely to proceed
with rather positive reactions.
4.2. Determinants of applicant satisfaction and
relative importance
From the full model regression analysis, which con-
trolled for applicant characteristics (prior experience
with online applications, Internet familiarity, applicant
source, and country) it was found that efficiency, user-
friendliness, process fairness and Internet selection
image are significant predictors of applicant satisfaction.
These results corroborate the expectations which
were voiced in the introduction, with the exception
of information provision, which did not emerge as a
significant predictor. Because information provision was
the only predictor that pertained to an idiosyncratic
element of the website, namely the specific vacancy
announcement, it could well be that respondent’s
scores on this variable varied as a function of the
vacancy rather than the online application process.
Future research should examine the relationship be-
tween information provision and overall satisfaction
with online application procedures while controlling
for the specific vacancy announcement.
& 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
319
Relative weights analyses indicated that perceived
efficiency is the most important predictor of applicant
satisfaction with the online application, followed by
perceptions of user-friendliness. The importance of
efficiency and user-friendliness is corroborated by
Cober et al. (2003) who, using a sample of under-
graduate students, found that perceived navigational
usability uniquely contributed to organizational attrac-
tion and recommendation intentions. Many other
authors have stressed the considerable time-savings
inherent to the use of Internet for recruitment pur-
poses (e.g., Cappelli, 2001; Cober et al., 2004; Lievens &
Harris, 2003). The importance of efficiency makes
sense when considered in light of the salience of
efficiency expectations in using the Internet in general.
That is, people might be quick to get frustrated when
websites are inefficient or unfriendly to navigate,
thereby subsequently affecting the overall satisfaction.
These results suggest that it is worthwhile for organiza-
tions to consider the efficiency and user-friendliness of
their online application system from an applicant’s point
of view. Applicant perceptions and organizational at-
traction may be rather easily influenced at this early
stage of the selection process by means of efficiency
and user-friendliness improvements. This suggestion is
also in line with signaling theory and findings of
Thompson et al. (2008), showing that ‘superficial’
features can in fact have influential effects upon appli-
cant perceptions.
In light of myriad assertions in the organizational
justice literature that underline the importance of fair-
ness perceptions, a surprising finding of the current
investigations is that apparently, perceived characteris-
tics of the website (i.e., efficiency and user-friendliness)
matter more than fairness perceptions in determining
overall process satisfaction. Indeed, in the early phases
of this study we anticipated that perceived fairness
would have a more pronounced effect upon overall
applicant satisfaction. Certainly, the organizational jus-
tice framework has frequently been applied to under-
stand applicant reactions in personnel selection
procedures (e.g., Chan & Schmitt, 2004) and this has
resulted in empirical findings in support of these
assumptions. The relatively minor impact of fairness
perceptions (when compared with that of efficiency and
user-friendliness) implies that fairness perceptions are
not a critically important determinant of applicant
satisfaction at this stage of the selection procedure.
Another conceivable explanation is that fairness per-
ceptions will only really matter when justice expecta-
tions have been violated, pointing to a threshold effect
(Gilliland & Chan, 2001; Truxillo, Steiner, & Gilliland,
2004). In addition, one could argue that applicants who
did experience justice violations did not complete or
withdrew their application and were therefore not
captured in the present study.
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
320
4.3. Differences between applicants:
demographics
With regard to the demographic variables (namely gender,
age, and minority status) no significant differences were
found in the way applicants perceive and evaluate the
online application process, except for the small correla-
tion between ethnic minority status and user-friendliness.
Findings thereby indicate no evident issues for applicant
attraction with regard to gender, age, or ethnic minority
status when using online application procedures.
Applicants who applied for a job in Belgium held
slightly more positive perceptions of the online applica-
tion procedure when compared with applicants who
applied for a job in the Netherlands. Given the lower
prevalence of the use of Internet in Belgium (Federale
Overheidsdienst Economie and Eurostat, 2008), the
Belgian applicants in this study may have perceived the
online application system as more unique and modern.
Although mean level differences were found between
the two countries, there were no moderating effects of
country on the relationship between the perceived
website characteristics and applicant satisfaction.
4.4. Differences between applicants: Internet
familiarity
Findings of the current study showed that applicants hold
different perceptions of the online system depending on
their familiarity with the use of Internet. Applicants who
rated themselves as highly familiar with the use of
Internet reported significantly more positive perceptions
and higher levels of satisfaction with the online application
process in comparison with applicants who rated them-
selves as less familiar with the use of Internet. This
outcome implies that the use of online recruitment
systems by organizations could lead to higher organiza-
tional attraction among job applicants who are highly
familiar with the Internet compared with candidates who
are less familiar. A similar trend was found by Sinar et al.
(2003) where candidate’s with higher levels of Internet
experience reported a more positive image of companies
that use the Internet to conduct their selection process.
For organizations facing a high selection ratio, it may thus
be prudent to consider having an alternative offline
recruitment procedure in place, so as not to further
restrict their candidate pool by excluding applicants on
the basis of a potentially irrelevant individual difference
variable (i.e., Internet familiarity).
4.5. Differences between applicants: applicant
source
Discrepancies among applicant perceptions were also
found for external and internal applicants, with the
International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009
Hella Sylva and Stefan T. Mol
latter group reporting less favorable perceptions.
Although internal applicant reactions were still gener-
ally positive it would be interesting to know why
satisfaction with web-based recruitment decreases sig-
nificantly when implemented for internal purposes.
One could argue that differences are due to the
influence of expectations and knowledge about the
job or application procedures (Ployhart & Harold,
2004). Internal applicants may have become used to
certain standards and hold expectations that generalize
to multiple facets of the organization. It is also con-
ceivable that internal applicants would expect a more
personal and informal treatment due to their member-
ship of the organization. Differences between internal
and external applicants could have important ramifica-
tions for both research and practice. We therefore
consider it important that researchers broaden their
scope to include internal applicant reactions.
In sum, perceived efficiency and user-friendliness
were the two most important determinants of applicant
satisfaction with the online application procedure,
irrespective of applicant characteristics. Where mean
differences were found, these did not seem to alter the
effects of perceived website characteristics on applicant
satisfaction. Similar patterns of predictor importance
and no moderator effects were found, indicating that
satisfaction with the online procedure was affected in a
similar way by the same website characteristics, irre-
spective of applicant characteristics (i.e., Internet famil-
iarity, country, and applicant source).
4.6. Study limitations and strengths
First, although respondents were assured that their
responses were treated confidentially and anonymously
by the external research team, it remains questionable
if results were affected by socially desirable response
tendencies. However, this is unavoidable in the context
of a real-life website for organizational recruitment, and
of course any social desirability would be present in all
sub-groups of applicants. A second potential limitation
is that, due to the research design, it was not possible
to capture reactions from applicants who opted to
withdraw from the application procedure. Thus, with-
drawal during the process of completing the web-based
application could possibly have restricted our sample to
those applicants who decided to complete the entire
procedure. Third, due to space and time constraints, all
constructs were assessed by a limited number of items,
although all were drawn from previously validated
scales (Sinar et al., 2003; Steiner & Gilliland, 1996) and
both CFA and reliability analyses supported the con-
struct validity and reliability of the scales. Moreover, as
mentioned earlier, the current study was performed in
a real-life recruitment situation where we had a unique
& 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
E-Recruitment
opportunity to be able to evaluate the impact of
country of origin, internal versus external source of
application, and a host of other demographic variables
during the 2-month period that this study remained live
on the organization’s European recruitment website.
Given that the organization concerned was a financial
services multinational recruiting for a range of entry-
level job functions, we would argue that our findings
may also be generalizable to other organizations.
Fourth, this study is limited in the sense that no hard
criteria (such as applicant follow-up, hiring decisions,
job offer acceptances) were collected. Such data could
further improve our understanding of applicant reac-
tions to online recruitment procedures. For example
and as was argued earlier, it may well be the case that
applicants lower on Internet familiarity may be less well
served by online recruitment procedures, and would
therefore be less inclined to follow up on their applica-
tions. Future research into applicant reactions to online
recruitment procedures should endeavor to include
hard criteria in addition to the perceptions that were
studied in the current investigation. Such data would
offer the additional benefit of verifying sample repre-
sentativeness. Unfortunately, it is to be expected that
access to actual selection data will continue to be
arduous due to their highly sensitive nature.
Fifth, the content and process of online recruitment
procedures may be expected to vary from organization
to organization and in some cases even from depart-
ment to department within organizations. Unfortu-
nately, as of yet there does not seem to exist an
objective and accurate method to ‘categorize’ or
compare recruitment and selection websites in terms
of quality. In fact, this specific corporate recruitment
site has been subjected to various non-scientific inspec-
tions (in the Netherlands) and conclusions were very
equivocal. The website was ranked as the best and
worst recruitment site, depending on the research
institute. While it is unclear by what criteria the
website was judged in these inspections, it illustrates
the difficulties and lack of consensus in describing a
website’s quality and thereby the generalizability of the
current findings to other websites. Given the consistent
findings across various characteristics of applicants in
the current study, perhaps the five characteristics
related to the online application system could be
included in the development of a taxonomy of user
perceptions of recruitment and selection systems so as
to facilitate comparison of findings in this domain.
5. Conclusion
The current study examined the mechanisms of atti-
tude formation among applicants who applied for a job
position through the Internet. This study was per-
& 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
321
formed in order to begin to understand how character-
istics of web-based systems are perceived by job
candidates. The study indicates that online recruitment
and selection procedures were less positively perceived
by some applicant subgroups than others, indicating
that the success of online application systems cannot be
generalized to all target groups. HR strategies on the
Internet might therefore unintentionally lead to differ-
ences in applicant reactions, satisfaction, and organiza-
tional attraction.
To conclude, the generally positive applicant reac-
tions, the worldwide reach of the Internet, and sig-
nificant savings related to web-based recruitment and
assessment procedures, would all suggest that recruit-
ment and selection on the Internet has great potential.
Additional research will be needed to examine why
some applicants hold more positive perceptions than
others, what the impact is upon organizational attrac-
tion, and how organizations can best address these
issues to retain their attractiveness as a potential
employer in an increasingly global and electronically
based recruitment marketplace.
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International Journal of Selection and Assessment
Volume 17 Number 3 September 2009