Recruiting for diversity: Sex differences in undergraduates’ choices of potential employers

The aim of this research is to explore sex differences in undergraduates’ choices ofpotential employers. It focuses on a major employer (‘the Firm’), wishing to increasethe number of job applications it receives from female undergraduates, and comprisesthree linked projects. No previous research was found that addresses sex differences inorganisational choice.In the first project, a contribution is made by identifying, using Repertory Grids, eightyfourorganisational attributes by which undergraduates differentiate between potentialemployers. A survey in the second project found organisational attractiveness (theproduct of the importance of organisational attributes and the perceived extent of theirpresence in a particular organisation) positively correlated with likelihood to apply. Sexdifferences were found in both components of organisational attractiveness: a newcontribution to the literature.Regression analysis revealed the attributes that predict women’s likelihood to apply tothe Firm: ‘people with whom I have things in common’; ‘friendly, informal culture’;‘cares about its employees as individuals’; and ‘dynamic, forward-looking approach toits business’. The Firm’s image in these areas was found to require improvement and, inthe final project, group interviews with female new joiners (to the Firm) identifiedtangible ‘cues’ that the Firm can use to signal the predictor attributes to undergraduates.Having identified the importance of interaction with employees in formingundergraduates’ images of organisations, a new approach was developed to measure theemployees’ image of the Firm, and this was supplemented by group interviews. Theresults contribute to practice and literature by revealing that the employees’ image is notuniversally strong and, in talking with undergraduates, they ‘tell it like it is’. This studyhighlights that, ultimately, the Firm’s desired image must be supported by employees’experiences of it, which management may need to examine further if the Firm is toattract more female undergraduates.