From adoption to impact: how digital hiring shapes organizational resilience in women-led SMEs

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore women entrepreneurs and human resource managers’ perceptions and experiences of digital hiring at SMEs in the context of Vietnam, and how digital hiring practices support their organizational resilience. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research design was employed to interviews 32 in-depth interviews and two focus groups of nine Vietnamese women entrepreneurs and HR managers. Findings We identified themes of technology adoption among women entrepreneurs and HR practitioners at SMEs in Vietnam, including openness and adaptability to utilize digital recruitment channels, women leaders’ adaptive capability developing when they integrated digital hiring in their HR process, relational approach and systematic control leading to these SMEs’ organizational resilience. Research limitations/implications This research was conducted within one country setting and used a qualitative approach, together with SMEs, so the findings are not generalized. We call for further research with AI-integrated recruitment at SMEs and testable proposed propositions. Practical implications This research provides suggestions for HR practitioners, policymakers and entrepreneurial decision-making for building adaptive capabilities for organizational resilience. Originality/value Employing the Organizational Resilience framework and Dynamic Capability View, we identify organizational capabilities through digital hiring practices and implications for SMEs to strengthen organizational resilience, providing evidence from an emerging economy. This enriches the understanding of digital adoptions among women entrepreneurs and HR practitioners in Vietnam.