Green Signals: Leveraging Sustainability in Online Recruitment Advertisements to Boost Employer Brand Appeal and Talent Acquisition

This study examines the impact of sustainability messaging in recruitment advertisements on employer brand attractiveness and job seekers’ intention to apply. Drawing on Signaling Theory and Social Identity Theory, the research aims to explain how sustainability‐related cues function as strategic signals under conditions of information asymmetry and influence applicant behavior through both direct and mediated pathways. A quantitative, cross‐sectional research design was employed using survey data collected from 334 job seekers across diverse industries. The data were analyzed using a two‐step structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, including exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the measurement model, followed by SEM to test the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects. The results indicate that sustainability messaging has a significant positive effect on employer brand attractiveness ( β = 0.37, p < 0.05) and directly influences intention to apply ( β = 0.59, p < 0.05). Employer brand attractiveness strongly predicts intention to apply ( β = 0.74, p < 0.05) and partially mediates the relationship between sustainability messaging and application intention (indirect effect β = 0.27, p < 0.05). The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power, accounting for 68% of the variance in job seekers’ intention to apply. This study contributes to the literature by extending Signaling Theory to recruitment advertising and positioning sustainability messaging as a credibility‐dependent signal influencing both perceptual and behavioral outcomes. By integrating Social Identity Theory, the study further explains how value congruence enhances employer attractiveness. Unlike prior research focusing on macro‐level sustainability initiatives, this study provides empirical evidence on micro‐level recruitment communication mechanisms, offering novel insights into sustainability‐driven employer branding strategies.