Person-Organization Fit during Recruitment: An Affective Events Perspective

Abstract

Candidate’s person-organization (PO) fit perceptions are invaluable to organizations because they lead to positive organizational attraction and job acceptance decisions. Yet, the recruitment literature provides a narrow perspective on the factors that contribute to the development of PO fit. Extending recent theorizing on the dynamics of PO fit, I draw on insights from Affective Events Theory to develop an individual-level model that seeks to elaborate on the factors that govern candidates’ PO fit perceptions during the recruitment process. The model identifies core affective reactions as proximal antecedent to PO fit dynamics over time. Further, to understand the relationship between core affect and PO fit, the model proposes two affect- infused mechanisms that are responsible for carrying the effects of core affect to judgments of fit. Therefore, by using an affective lens, this framework offers novel insights as to how the recruitment process can be managed in order to lead to positive recruitment outcomes.