Do Linguistic Styles in Hospitality Job Postings Matter for Job Application Behaviors? A People Analytics Approach

With the rising prominence of social media recruitment, crafting attractive online job postings has become essential for attracting a diverse pool of job seekers. Although language is the most reliable and universal communication method, the effectiveness of language usage in job postings on job seekers’ applications is still unclear. This study applies language expectancy theory to examine the varying effects of four psychological dimensions of linguistic style in job postings on the number of applications submitted through LinkedIn. We employ a people analytics approach to collect and analyze textual data from online job postings, allowing us to capture the four psychological dimensions effectively. Our results indicate that an analytical thinking dimension negatively influences the number of applications, whereas the dimensions of clout, authenticity, and positive emotion are positively associated with the number of applications. In addition, the company ratings, which represent the company’s reputation, serve to amplify the positive influence of the positive emotion dimension on job applications. Implications and limitations are discussed.