CONSTRUCTING THE NEO-LIBERAL WORKER: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF POWER IN CORPORATE ONLINE JOB ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

This research examines entry-level job postings from ten Multinational Corporations (MNCs) across the technology and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors, including Microsoft, Nestlé, and Unilever. Modern recruitment texts have evolved beyond simply listing qualifications; they increasingly employ linguistic strategies that shift the burden of accountability away from the corporation and onto the individual. Applying Fairclough’s (1995) three-dimensional framework, this research analyzes the data at the textual level (examining modalities and word choices), the discursive level (exploring the marketization of recruitment), and the social level (investigating how extreme workplace ideologies become normalized). Ultimately, the goal is to uncover how these organizations discursively construct the “ideal” employee as a constantly available and self-reliant neoliberal subject. By deconstructing this promotional language, the study aims to equip job seekers with Critical Language Awareness (CLA) to better navigate the power dynamics of the modern labor market.