What Do Experts Expect from Human Resource Practices

Abstract

Knowing how to attract highly qualified employees known as experts is of critical importance to many organizations in the new knowledge economy. The aim of this exploratory empirical study is to examine experts’ expectations in regard to organizational and job related factors. After defining what is an expert, we review academic research on what attracts employees and how this applies to experts. Our data come from a large organization in the high technology sector. Results show that, in many ways, the expectations of experts differ from those of less qualified employees. For instance, when they consider a potential employer, financial rewards linked to performance are more significant to experts than to other employees whereas unusual perks (e.g., lounge) and work-life balance are less significant.

Keywords: Expert, HR Practices, Attraction

JEL Classification: M12