Interviewer Assessments of Applicant 'Fit': An Exploratory

An investigation examines interviewers' assessments of job applicants in terms of general and firm-specific employability (that is, fit). The data were provided by recruiters who interviewed graduating master of business administration students from a nationally ranked Ivy League business school during the 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 recruiting seasons. Following each interview, recruiters provided ratings on 10 specific trait scales, overall employability, and employability in a specific firm. The 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, while objective qualifications do not.