PAY PREFERENCES AND JOB SEARCH DECISIONS - A PERSON ORGANIZATION FIT PERSPECTIVE

The present study investigated the degree to which pay preferences inf luenced job search decisions in both hypothetical and actual organizat ions, and the degree to which preferences for particular compensation attributes depended on job seekers' dispositional characteristics. Bas ed on prior theory and research, we hypothesized that certain pay syst ems generally would be preferred by job seekers, that these pay system s would affect applicant attraction to organizations, and that differe nt types of job seekers would be attracted to different types of pay s ystems. The sample comprised 171 college students who were seeking job s during the study, and who represented six majors, three degree types , and two degree levels. Experimental policy-capturing results and res ults obtained about actual companies with which the job seekers would potentially interview supported hypotheses that organizations perceive d to offer high pay levels, flexible benefits, individual-based pay, a nd fixed pay policies were more attractive to job seekers. Results fur ther suggested that the attractiveness of these pay policies may be he ightened by greater levels of fit between individual personality trait s and compensation system characteristics.