Anticipating the future: Job seeker's evaluation of employer attractiveness during organizational change

Establishing strong person–environment fit is crucial for recruitment but becomes complex when changing organizations seek employees aligned with a future state rather than current characteristics. Integrating the organizational change, signaling, and person–environment fit literature, we extend the understanding of attraction mechanisms during organizational change by conceptualizing person–environment fit as dynamic evolving alongside organizational change, shaping job seekers’ perceptions of employer attractiveness based on anticipated fit. Findings from a metric conjoint experiment involving 126 job seekers reveal that signaling proactive change enhances employer attractiveness, particularly for individuals with high openness to change. Anticipated fit plays a critical role, with organizational culture exerting the strongest influence, followed by leadership style and career development opportunities. These findings underscore the importance of strategic signaling in attracting talent during organizational change.