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Abstract
Shifting demographics are driving speculation about changes in organizational recruitment strategies. In this paper, I investigate the potential competitive advantage for companies communicating family-friendly signals to attract an emerging workforce by extending the instrumental-symbolic attraction framework to applicant work-family social identity needs. I hypothesize that employer instrumental (i.e., family-friendly policies) and symbolic (i.e., family-friendly image) signals will increase organizational attractiveness to the degree that signals address individual concerns for anticipated work-family conflict and work-family social identity, respectively. Hypotheses are tested using an experimental approach in which participants evaluate manipulated job ads from real companies. Results support several hypothesized relationships including the moderating effect of work-family social identity needs. Findings inform practical implications for family-friendly recruitment efforts and contribute to the understanding of symbolic attraction and applicant social identity needs.