Selection criteria and the impact of personality on getting hired
| Published date | 01 October 2004 |
| Pages | 521-535 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480410550134 |
| Date | 01 October 2004 |
| Author | Jane W. Moy,Kim F. Lam |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Selection criteria and the impact
of personality on getting hired
Jane W. Moy
Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon,
Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Kim F. Lam
Department of Management Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon,
Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Keywords Personality, Selection, Graduates, Hong Kong
Abstract Based on an earlier policy-capturing study of the Big Five personality traits and general
mental ability, this paper explores and analyzes the hiring preference of Hong Kong employers
across five important personal attributes, including not only personality but also practical skill
dimensions. The preferences and trade-offs of 300 experienced recruiters were obtained via
conjoint analysis, a theoretically grounded statistical tool that is used to discompose and analyze
decisions, for assessing the hiring decisions for entry-level professional positions. Among
knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality, the personality of a candidate has a relatively greater
impact on the hiring decision. Three of the Big Five personality traits were elected from among five
major hiring attributes for effective performance, with conscientiousness being the most dominant
attribute across all eight major industries. The other attributes, in order of importance, include
English communication skills, openness to new experiences, academic performance, and
agreeableness. Discrepancies between intended and actual decisions were also addressed by
comparing the results with self-reported ratings.
Sun Tzu’s Art of War argues that if you know others and know yourself, you will not
be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you
win one and lose one; if you know neither others nor yourself, you will be imperiled in
every battle. For recent graduates, getting hired can mean winning the first important
battle in their career. To win, a graduate needs to know what employers demand and
what he/she can supply in return. With business downsizing, today’s leaner
organizations need to hire “high-value” individuals to maximize the contribution of
their human assets. Despite the current uncertain employment market, there are still
many excellent opportunities for qualified university graduates who possess the skills
and traits for which employers are searching.
A great deal of published research on selection has been geared towards
understanding the relationship between personality constructs and job performance
(Barrick and Mount, 1991; Goldberg, 1990; Hough et al., 1990). Certain personality
constructs (e.g. the Big-Five personality factors) have repeatedly shown, in
meta-analysis studies, to be valid predictors of job performance. However, do other
dimensions or attributes contribute to the hiring decision? Do employers know their
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
The authors would like to thank the editor and reviewer for their insightful comments and
suggestions. This study was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR,
China (HKBU2066/99H), and a Faculty Research Grant (FRG9899/II-40).
Selection criteria
and the impact
of personality
521
Received February 2003
Revised July 2003
Accepted August 2003
Personnel Review
Vol. 33 No. 5, 2004
pp. 521-535
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/00483480410550134
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