Publication record
- Original publication period
- January–June 2024
- Digitized / uploaded online
- August 10, 2026
The digitization/upload date records when this file was added to the website; it is not the article's original publication date.
Abstract
Recruitment and selection communicate what an organization considers worthy, whose participation it facilitates, and whether authority is exercised through explainable rules. This conceptual article develops a legitimacy-centered approach to fair hiring from an instructional manuscript covering recruitment strategy, screening, interviews, selection methods, diversity and inclusion, legal concerns, informal sponsorship, and technology. Rather than treating fairness as an audit performed after a hiring decision, the article organizes it across four moments of the applicant journey: access to opportunity, treatment during assessment, explanation of decisions, and governance of data and technology. A model of procedural legitimacy is proposed in which job relevance, consistency, voice, transparency, respectful treatment, reviewability, and data restraint reinforce both applicant dignity and decision quality. The analysis distinguishes outreach from preferential treatment, candidate experience from entertainment, and algorithmic consistency from demonstrated fairness. It also reframes the padrino or sponsorship problem: referrals may expand information and access, but sponsor influence should never alter criteria, scoring, or review. Two tools are provided: an applicant-journey fairness map and a governance checklist for technology-assisted hiring. The article argues that fair hiring is not secured by identical treatment alone; organizations must provide comparable opportunity to demonstrate job-relevant capability while addressing barriers that make formal equality misleading. No applicant data, organizational sample, or outcome comparison is reported. The contribution is a practical and researchable design for recruitment systems that seek talent without sacrificing inclusion, trust, or accountability.