Hispanic Preferences in Organizational Recruiting Ads

Despite an increasing number of Hispanics in the US, relatively little research has specifically addressed how the beliefs, motivations, and customs of Hispanics influence work attitudes and behaviors. The current study examined how two values specific to Hispanic culture, Familism and Simpatia, affect organizational attractiveness. Familism is the belief that family is important, and it refers to an attitude of confidence and moral compromise exclusively with those members of one\u27s family group. Simpatia refers to a permanent personal quality where an individual is perceived as likeable, attractive, fun to be with, and easygoing. Because Simpatia is related conceptually to the personality dimension, Agreeableness, Agreeableness was also measured. One hundred thirty-nine undergraduate students (91 Caucasians and 48 Hispanics) participated in this study. Participants completed the measures, and they were randomly assigned to read and evaluate one of four recruiting ads in which the family-friendliness of the organization\u27s policies and the extent to which the organization encouraged cooperativeness or competitiveness were manipulated. Results suggest that, regardless of ethnic background, participants preferred an organization high in family friendly policies. Moreover, there were no significant differences between non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics on Familism and Simpatia. There were differences found in the type of organization one would pursue depending on one\u27s level of Agreeableness. Participants who are high on Agreeableness were most likely to pursue an organization high in both family friendly policies and cooperativeness. Those who are low on Agreeableness were most likely to pursue an organization low in cooperativeness and family-friendly policies. To the extent that Agreeableness is related to Simpatia, partial support for the hypothesis was found. Implications for the design of recruiting ads, the importance of family-friendly policies in attracting applicants, and future research on Hispanics and work are discussed