Attracting talents in startups: Discourses of seduction

Abstract

Our research aim is to analyze the persuasion strategies used by startups to attract potential talents. In order to meet this goal, we selected eight startups through convenience sampling; the interviewees are responsible for the Personnel Management of these companies. The research corpus was analyzed through a discourse analysis approach. The research findings indicate seven strategies of persuasion in the recruiting process, which indicate a few discursive oppositions: we versus them, social media and employer branding, the pop management trend, diversity discourse, flexibility, relaxed working environment, and growth discourse. All these themes emerge as persuasion andseduction strategies that turn organizational discourse into a more subtle and engaging speech. Startups explicitly establish interdiscursive relationships with the capitalist discourse.

Keywords

• startups
• attracting talent
• retaining talent
• recruitment process
• discursive strategies