The impact of gender and profit margin on the duration of hiring process for professional service firms

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of recruiter gender and profit margin on the duration of the hiring process in professional services firms (PSFs). Design/methodology/approach - In evaluating over 500 recruiting transactions in a PSF, a factorial ANOVA was performed to determine if there is a significant interaction between recruiter gender and profit margin on days it take to fill an open position. Findings - The results suggest a significant interaction exists between the recruiter gender and profit margin variables in effect on days that it takes to fill an open position. At lower job position profit margins, female recruiters were found to outperform their male counterparts. Conversely, at higher job position profit margins, male recruiters appear to outperform female recruiters. Research limitations/implications - This research is focused on the duration of the recruiting process and does not address the quality of candidate selection. An evaluation of the quality of candidate selection contrasted with the time it takes to hire should be an essential consideration for future research. Practical implications - If job vacancies remain vacant at client firms for an extended period, this could adversely impact the financial and reputational health of small PSFs. By focusing on key variables that impact the recruiting timeline, management may be able to consider interventions that would improve both the recruiting process and firm’s financial health. Originality/value - This study provides a unique contribution by focusing on the recruiting timeline, recruiter gender, profit margin, and the resulting ability of a PSF to proactively manage its revenue.