INTERVIEWER ASSESSMENTS OF APPLICANT "FIT": AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION

Although both strategic management theorists and practicing recruiters endorse selecting applicants on the basis of “fit,” precise delineation of fit in a selection context remains elusive. Moreover, the majority of previous work in this area has been based on anecdotes, case studies, or prescriptio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPersonnel psychology Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 13 - 35
Main Authors RYNES, SARA, GERHART, BARRY
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.1990
Personnel Psychology, Inc
Subjects
Employment Interviews
Employment Potential
Employment Qualifications
Evaluation
Job Applicants
Personnel Selection
Recruitment
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Summary:Although both strategic management theorists and practicing recruiters endorse selecting applicants on the basis of “fit,” precise delineation of fit in a selection context remains elusive. Moreover, the majority of previous work in this area has been based on anecdotes, case studies, or prescriptions rather than empirical evidence. The present investigation examines interviewers' assessments of job applicants in terms of both general and firm‐specific employability (i.e., fit). Results suggest that (1) assessments of general employability differ from firm‐specific assessments, (2) there is a firm‐specific component to interviewers' evaluations of job applicants, and (3) interpersonal skills, goal orientation, and physical attractiveness contribute to assessments of fit (holding general employability constant), while objective qualifications (e.g., grade point average, extracurricular offices, years experience) do not. Suggestions for future research are offered.
Bibliography:istex:1AF9D0449FB65682C08B40C7B9EEC429D9DB903A
ArticleID:PEPS13
ark:/67375/WNG-5D2V0C43-W
Authors contributed equally to this project. We wish to thank Laurie Foltman and James Schmotter of the Johnson Graduate School of Business, Cornell University, for their contribution to the study. We also wish to thank the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, and the U.S. Army Research Institute (Contract SRFC‐MDA903‐87‐K0001) for financial and staff support for this project. However, the authors retain sole responsibility for the views and findings contained herein.
ISSN:0031-5826
1744-6570
DOI:10.1111/j.1744-6570.1990.tb02004.x