Judgments of Fit in the Selection Process: The Role of Work Value Congruence

Abstract

Work values were examined as an antecedent of recruiters' judgments of applicant fit with the organization. Data were collected on the work values of recruiters, their organizations, and job applicants in actual job interviews conducted through the placement center of a large university. Following the interviews, recruiters evaluated applicants' general employability and organization-specific fit. Approximately 4 months following the interviews, data on whether the applicants were invited for a second interview were also obtained. Work value congruence between the applicant and the recruiter was found to be related to judgments of general employability and organization-specific fit. Congruence between the applicant and the organization (as perceived by the recruiter) was not related to judgments of employability and organization-specific fit. Recruiter ratings of employability were related to the decision to invite the applicant for a second interview. Work value congruence was not related to second interview decisions. It is concluded that if work values and judgments of applicant fit influence the personnel selection process, they are more likely to do so at later stages when job offer decisions are made. Work values and judgments of applicant fit seem to have minimal impact on decisions to retain the applicant for additional consideration in early stages of the selection process.The personnel selection literature has traditionally focused on person-job fit (P-J fit), defined as the individual having the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform the job (e.g., Hedge & Teachout, 1992; O'Reilly, Caldwell, & Mirable, 1992). Personorganization fit (P-0 fit) extends both the predictor and criterion domains to broadly define fit as congruence of the personality traits, The authors made equal contributions to this study, order of authorship is alphabetical. We wish to thank Stephen Gilliland, Karl Kuhnert, Bruce M. Meglino, Elizabeth C. Ravlin, and three anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft. Randy Settoon assisted with data analysis. Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Cheryl L. Adkins, Department of Management, Coflege of Business, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. COPYRIGHT 0 1994 PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, INC.

Values and judgment under uncertainty: evidence from venture capitalist assessments of founders

“…While much of this work acknowledges the importance of value congruence, (e.g., (Adkins et al, 1994;Cable and Judge, 1997;Judge and Bretz, 1992;Meglino et al, 1992;Ravlin and Meglino, 1987), we heed the call of Meglino and Ravlin (1998) Our study also makes an important contribution to the entrepreneurship literature related specifi cally to VC selection judgments. Despite a large body of research on the most common criteria VCs use to evaluate business opportunities and founders (e.g., Hall and Hofer, 1993;MacMillan et al, 1985;MacMillan et al, 1987;Sexton and BowmanUpton, 1990;Shepherd, 1999;Tyebjee and Bruno, 1984;Zacharakis and Meyer, 1998), surprisingly few studies consider the characteristics of the decision makers themselves (i.e., the VCs).…”

“…Research to date on the infl uence of values on judgment and decision making generally uses a value congruence perspective (Adkins et al, 1994;Cable and Judge, 1997;Judge and Bretz, 1992;Meglino et al, 1992;Ravlin and Meglino, 1987), whereby individuals make choices that are consistent with their value systems. For example, research has explored how individual job choice decisions are infl uenced by congruence between their own personal values and fi rm values (Judge and Bretz, 1992), and how evaluations of others are infl uenced by value congruence between the evaluator and the evaluatee (Adkins et al, 1994;Cable and Judge, 1997;Ravlin and Meglino, 1987). In this article, we extend the basic premise of value homophily into a strategic decision-making context and identify the role that process values play in this context.…”

The Impact of Social Class in the Hiring Process

“…Once detected, value congruence between applicants and recruiters was a determinant of fit perceptions and employability (Adkins et al, 1994). Upon further exploration of this aforementioned relationship, Cable and Judge (1997) determined that perceived value congruence between hiring managers and applicants directly related to hiring managers' perceptions of organizational fit.…”

“…In effect, firmspecific information (e.g., culture, expectations) will influence hiring manager perceptions of fit over and above general applicant qualifications. This research was furthered as Adkins, Russell, and Werbel (1994) investigated the importance of the actual hiring manager. Using a sample of corporate recruiters, they completed surveys about their personal and organization's work value as well as pre-and post-surveys after conducting candidate interviews.…”

Business faculty recruitment : effects of annual salary and health benefits plan.

“…Key job attributes that applicants looked for in job previews were use of skills and abilities, flexibility of working hours, beginning salary, and self-esteem (Ellis &Taylor, 1983;Feldman & Arnold, 1978;Freeman & Carpenter, 1983). Adkins, Russell, and Werbel (1994) (Winter, 1996;Winter, 1998;. The framework for this study was based on:…”