Signalling and Constructing Innovation Capability Through Digital Recruitment Communication

This study examines how global technology organisations communicate their innovation capability through digital recruitment platforms. Drawing on signalling theory and open innovation, a qualitative analysis of 100 LinkedIn job advertisements was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings identify five core innovation capability signals: technological positioning, future-oriented mindset, collaborative innovation ecosystems, continuous learning, and purpose-driven impact, alongside narrative mechanisms through which these signals are discursively constructed. The analysis further shows how the credibility and strength of these signals vary depending on how they are framed and grounded in recruitment communication. Building on these insights, the study develops the Digital Innovation Capability Signalling Model, which explains how recruitment communication links signals, narrative construction, signal evaluation, and potential applicant sensemaking to shape perceptions of organisational innovation capability. The study advances open innovation research and extends signalling theory by showing that innovation capability signals are not only communicated but also discursively constructed and differentially evaluated in terms of credibility and strength, shaping how they are interpreted in digital labour markets. • Reveals how innovation capability is signalled in digital recruitment • Identifies five innovation capability signals in LinkedIn job advertisements • Uncovers narrative mechanisms shaping innovation capability communication • Proposes the Digital Innovation Capability Signalling Model (DICSM) • Extends signalling theory in digital recruitment communication