Fulfillment or status: Job seekers’ reward expectations towards family and non-family employers

Limited anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that family ownership status – whether a company is family-owned or publicly held – may influence job seekers’ intentions to apply. Drawing from the theory of person-organization fit and utilizing qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), we conducted an exploratory study analyzing survey data from 756 senior-level job seekers in Switzerland. Our analysis identified distinct cohorts of job seekers who consistently applied to family-owned versus non-family-owned companies. We discovered two profiles of applicants who seem to favor family employers: Fulfillment Seekers and Reward Seekers. Despite their differences, both profiles share an intrinsic need for praise. In contrast, we identified one profile of non-family firm applicants, Hero Followers, who prioritize neither praise nor pride but have a strong desire to work for an admired superior – the very thing Fulfillment Seekers and Reward Seekers deprioritize. Our findings suggest that distinct groups of job seekers are motivated by different reward combinations: Pay, Perks, Personas, Pride, which they expect to find in either family or non-family companies. Family firms could benefit from emphasizing these rewards in their recruitment processes, compensation schemes, and employer branding strategies. •Family ownership status of a company affects job seekers’ intentions to apply.•We adopt person-organization fit theory and conduct a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) on 756 senior-level job seekers.•Job seekers are motivated by different combinations of rewards: Pay, Perks, Personas, Pride.•Two profiles of applicants favor family employers: Fulfillment Seekers and Reward Seekers.•One profile favors non-family firm employers: Hero Followers.•Family firms could benefit from using these rewards in recruitment, compensation, and employer branding strategies.