RAPPORT
WWW.RECORDINGACHIEVEMENT.AC.UK
Issue 2 (2015)
The International Journal for
Recording Achievement,
Planning and Portfolios
Relevant Information in the Recruitment Process:
Perspectives of Students and Recruiters
Dr. R.P.H. Ronald Lievens, Lievens HR Innovations
MSc. W.I.E. Wendy Wesseling, Tilburg University, Netherlands
Abstract:
Due to heterogeneity in the labour market, the job matching process is hindered by asymmetric
information between job seekers and employers. In the literature, it is proposed this asymmetry can be
alleviated by creating matches on the basis of two types of information: high and low bandwidth data,
representing hard (e.g. person-job fit) and easy to verify (e.g. educational background) information. This
information could be distributed by Career Portfolios. However, it is unclear what information is relevant
in the recruitment process. This is explored in this study, by gathering recruiter and student perspectives
on the desirability of specific high and low bandwidth types of information. Results show that students
and recruiters are in partial agreement about the relevance of both types of information: recruiters value
high bandwidth data more highly than students.
Keywords: job matching, recruitment, career portfolio
Introduction
Both the demand and supply sides of
contemporary labour markets are characterized
by great heterogeneity. Jobs differ with respect to
aspects such as career development prospects
and required competences, while there is also
great variation among workers with respect to
their competences, preferences, and other
relevant attributes. Furthermore, the information
about
job
seekers
and
employers
is
asymmetrically divided. Both parties have private
information, which might be of interest to each
other in respectively the hiring decision and the
decision to accept a job offer. This is problematic,
since the job matching process is dependent on
the availability of representative and reliable
information about the demand and supply sides of
labour (Isgin & Sopher, 2013; Mortensen, 2011).
In loose labour markets of today - in which there
are more workers than jobs - , this problem
gravitates towards employers rather than job
seekers. They run the risk of making the wrong
hiring decision, because they do not have enough
information about the job applicant relevant to
their needs. Because information is costly, firms
have to invest in resources in pursuit of a
productive match (Mortensen et al., 2011; Katz &
Stark, 1987). They invest in recruitment and
selection activities, such as posting job vacancies
and conducting assessments (these activities
may differ according to company size).
In his article Wiring th