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Hiring Expert Talent in a Recession: Targeted Labor Pool Sourcing and Firm Performance

Author

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  • Mawdsley, John Kenneth
  • Chauradia, Amit
  • Brymer, Rhett

Abstract

Extant research suggests that hiring experts during economic downturns can improve firm financial performance. However, recessionary labor markets deepen the challenges facing hiring firms, calling to question both the firm-level benefits and the tactics of acquiring talent when demand for a firm’s business is declining. We theorize and find that hiring expert talent during a recession actually weakens firm performance in the context of knowledge-based services. Notably though, we find firms can effectively attenuate the negative hiring effect by targeting particular labor pools, underlining the significance of gaining human capital advantages through focused sourcing. We test our hypotheses using a longitudinal sample of large U.S. corporate law firms between 2002 and 2010.

Suggested Citation

  • Mawdsley, John Kenneth & Chauradia, Amit & Brymer, Rhett, 2017. "Hiring Expert Talent in a Recession: Targeted Labor Pool Sourcing and Firm Performance," HEC Research Papers Series 1211, HEC Paris.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:heccah:1211
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2992548
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    human capital; firm performance; knowledge workers; labor pools; economic recession;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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