Selective Recruiting : College Characteristics and Job Outcomes / Stephen M. Colarelli and Others.

Although institutions of higher education differ widely, little is known about the effects of different college characteristics on early career outcomes. A study was conducted to examine the relationships among nine college characteristics and job offers, employment status, job attitudes, and job performance of recent college graduates. College characteristics studied were ability of entering freshmen, selectivity, sex composition of student body, control, size, wealth, religiosity, religious affiliation, and reputation for quality. The sample consisted of accounting students and newly-hired accountants representing 93 colleges and universities. Subjects were surveyed during the beginning of their senior year in college, their first week at work, and after one year on the job. The results indicated that the college characteristics examined were generally not related to job attitudes and job performance. Characteristics of colleges did correlate strongly with receiving job offers from, and being employed at, prestigious firms. The results are discussed in terms of threshold effects, situational influences, and prestige effects. Implications for educational and recruiting practices are suggested. (Author/NB)

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