Employer perceptions of migrant candidates’ suitability: The influence of decision-maker and organisational characteristics

This paper reports on how decision-makers’ personal characteristics and organisational characteristics

can influence the screening of immigrant professionals during the recruitment and selection

process. The sample consisted of 220 decision-makers in the engineering industry working in New

South Wales, Australia. The results show White/Anglo Australian decision-makers had more suitability

concerns of ethnic migrant candidates during the recruitment and selection process than

decision-makers of other ethnicities. However, this was moderated by organisational characteristics

of size and clientele. Decision-makers in larger organisations and a diverse ethnic client base showed

less suitability concerns of migrant candidates during the recruitment and selection process.