Successful Interviews:
The Importance of Assessing Whether a Candidate Will Fit
This month's review examines a study by Amy Kristof-Brown, 'Perceived applicant fit: Distinguishing between recruiters' perceptions of person job and person-organization fit'. The study explores how recruiters assess these two forms of fit, and how they can influence hiring decisions. We look at what this means to organisations in terms of selection criteria, recruiting people who will change with the organisation, and retaining talent.
Person-job fit (P-J)
This refers to the match between the applicant and the job. This is usually based on the knowledge skills and abilities (KSA) of the applicant and the demands of the job. The match has been described in terms of two underlying complementary relationships between the person and the job. One relationship deals with whether the person has the skills to meet the demands of a specific job (demands-abilities fit). The other deals with whether the job meets the needs of the individual (needs-supplies fit). Recruiters are mainly concerned with the demands-abilities fit.
This refers to the match between the applicant and the job. This is usually based on the knowledge skills and abilities (KSA) of the applicant and the demands of the job. The match has been described in terms of two underlying complementary relationships between the person and the job. One relationship deals with whether the person has the skills to meet the demands of a specific job (demands-abilities fit). The other deals with whether the job meets the needs of the individual (needs-supplies fit). Recruiters are mainly concerned with the demands-abilities fit.
Person-organisation fit (P-O)
The fit between the applicant and the organisation is usually described in terms of a match between values. This relates to the idea of contextual performance, as distinct from specific job performance (linked to P-J fit). A candidate with P-O fit is likely to perform successfully across the organisation in differing roles. P-O fit has been described in terms of underlying similarity between the values of the person and the organisation. Values guide behaviour and decisions, and recruiting an individual who matches the organisation's values helps to strengthen the organisation's culture. Those with similar value systems can find it easier to communicate with each other. This ease of communication may act as a guide for recruiters when assessing P-O fit. Additionally, those with similar personalities are likely to have better interactions - the similarity attraction paradigm. Once hired the ease of interactions are likely to lead to low levels of stress and increased tenure. However, seeking a P-O fit carries the obvious problem of cloning.
The fit between the applicant and the organisation is usually described in terms of a match between values. This relates to the idea of contextual performance, as distinct from specific job performance (linked to P-J fit). A candidate with P-O fit is likely to perform successfully across the organisation in differing roles. P-O fit has been described in terms of underlying similarity between the values of the person and the organisation. Values guide behaviour and decisions, and recruiting an individual who matches the organisation's values helps to strengthen the organisation's culture. Those with similar value systems can find it easier to communicate with each other. This ease of communication may act as a guide for recruiters when assessing P-O fit. Additionally, those with similar personalities are likely to have better interactions - the similarity attraction paradigm. Once hired the ease of interactions are likely to lead to low levels of stress and increased tenure. However, seeking a P-O fit carries the obvious problem of cloning.
General points about P-J and P-O fit
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Recruiters seldom agreed on the specific indicators of a good P-J or P-O fit. These idiosyncratic biases show that recruiters can vary on the criteria they apply.
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Recruiters may be using themselves as the benchmark of P-O fit. This is not necessarily harmful as supervisor relationships have a strong impact on organisational commitment of newcomers, and if they judge similarity at the outset the relationship may be more successful.
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P-J fit has been found to have a stronger relationship with recruiter recommendations, probably as first interviews are very often used to explore whether the candidate meets job requirements (KSA's).
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Recruiters can make judgements on personality after assessing one trait, and then assuming the existence of others traits. They therefore make extensive personality assessments even after brief encounters with applicants. Thus it appears recruiters are considering a wide variety of factors beyond KSAs even in short screening interviews. For example, recruiters make extensive personality inferences which are not necessarily accurate. Even for the most observable factors, such as extraversion and agreeableness, recruiters are not accurate when compared with self reports.
Learning Points
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Recruiters could benefit from better guidance on good P-J and P-O fit. They should be given well-validated criteria on which to base their recommendations. This could be in the form of well-researched competencies which are tailored to the organisation.
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Organisations can examine which recruiters are making good selection decisions and explore what criteria are they using. It can also be useful to look at which employees have been successful, what kind of person are they?
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Improved training for recruiters to educate them on the criteria which are important to the organisations, how to examine them and how to be aware of biases.
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Should companies be using validated personality tests, to overcome the judgements made by recruiters, usually on incomplete data or assumptions and generalisations? If tests are to be used they must be extensively validated within the organisation to ensure they make a valid contribution.
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The concern of recruiting clones into the organisation. In a time when organisations need to be adaptable and agile do recruiters need to suspend judgement of P-O and P-J fit in order to stimulate creativity and change?
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Should employers recruit talented people based on P-O fit rather than P-J fit? These people could to be more mobile and adaptable within the organisation.
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As organisations compete for high potential candidates they may need to pay more attention to what the individual is looking for in the role, the P-J fit in terms of needs-supplies fit. The suggestion is that if this fit were achieved, retention of talented people would be more likely.
Reference
Kristof-Brown, A. (2000) Perceived applicant fit: Distinguishing between recruiters' perceptions of person-job fit and person-organization fit. Personnel Psychology, Vol. 53 No 3 pps. 643-671