The impact of social media characteristics on young job applicants’ intentions: mediating roles of employer brand attractiveness and person-organization fit

This study investigates the role of social media characteristics in the intentions of young applicants to apply for a job with a particular organization, with the mediating roles of employer brand attractiveness and person-organization fit. Grounded in signaling and congruity theories, the research explores the influence of social presence—the sense of human connection conveyed through digital platforms—and informativeness, which refers to the quality and relevance of content shared by organizations. The sample consists of 328 young job seekers, actively exploring career opportunities. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to examine the hypothesized relationships. Results show that social media characteristics significantly influence employer brand attractiveness, while a more complex and indirect effect on person-organization fit is found. In addition, both factors fully mediate the link to job application intentions. The findings suggest that organizations can strategically enhance recruitment outcomes by curating social media content that authentically represents their values and workplace culture.