What makes an interesting job? Job characteristic preferences and personality amongst undergraduates

Abstract

Understanding job applicants’ preferences towards job characteristics can help companies focus on promoting and developing the important aspects of workplace, which in turn is linked to better job satisfaction and productivity. By advertising specific job and organisational characteristics, companies aim to recruit applicants who are attracted to such characteristics, hence achieving a fit between its employees and the organisation. Currently, there is a lack of research investigating the underpinnings of JCPs. The current study aims to explore JCPs amongst undergraduate students and clarify the relationship between personality factors and JCPs. 109 Psychology undergraduate students were asked to rate the importance of 23 job characteristics and completed a personality trait and facet measure. The results showed that students rated employment conditions (salary, benefits, tenure and working hours) as more important to other than to themselves. There were also differences in perception with regards to the importance of task, social and organisational characteristics. It was also found that Extraversion, Openness and Conscientiousness were significant predictors of JCPs, and personality facets accounted for more variance in JCP than Big-Five personality traits. These findings have implications for company recruiters and human resource practitioner in areas of recruitment, selection and development, and provide insight into the use of personality assessment in these areas.