Salary or job interest? How salary and job interest moderates the willingness to apply for a job

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether salary and job interest moderates the relationship between corporate image and willingness to apply for a job and to examine that salary or job interest has a stronger influence on willingness to apply for a job.

Research data were obtained through questionnaires by the method of convenience sampling, distributed in employment expos and career guidance centers in Taichung and Chiayi area, Taiwan. In total, 300 questionnaires were collected. Excluding the invalid questionnaires, there were 285 valid questionnaires. Then, the study applied hierarchical regressions to test moderating effects and each hypothesis.

The study found that corporate image, salary, and job interest have significant positive effects on willingness to apply. In order of level of influence on willingness to apply, the factors successively are job interest, salary, and corporate image. Both salary and job interest will exert moderating effects on willingness to apply, and job interest has a stronger influence than salary.

This study was limited on sample selection from only two regions, in addition to time and space restrictions. However, the research results still help an employer to understand the priority factors that may influence a job seeker’s decision to apply for a job.

A company with a good corporate image and generous salary system can enhance the interest of job seekers. At the same time, if the job content is consistent with the interest of the job seekers, they will be more eager to apply. It would be beneficial for both enterprises and applicants when the right candidate in the sea of job seekers is chosen for the right job.