Why should you use a interest inventory for recruiting?
If you’re hiring a candidate who will spend a lot of their time sorting and organizing files, following procedures, and similar structured tasks, but end up selecting someone with a low score on the Conventional dimension, that candidate will likely become an unsatisfied, unproductive employee who might consider leaving before too long.
Using vocational interests as a hiring tool was initially met with some skepticism in the scientific community but has grown into a respected predictor of job success exhibiting a relationship with performance comparable to that of the most relevant personality traits (i.e. conscientiousness).
However, the key focus of prediction for this test is job satisfaction. Intuitively, if you enjoy the types of activities you have to do at work, you’ll like your job more. Job satisfaction is associated with lower levels of burnout among employees along with greater organizational commitment.
If employees are more interested in what they’re doing, they’re also more likely to pursue learning opportunities and produce better work through enhanced motivation. Assuming they have the required skills to perform their tasks, an employee’s interest in their work can drive exceptional performance.
Interest alignment also increases the likelihood that employees will stay in their job. Interests are a key aspect of determining job fit, specifically focused on how much an employee might enjoy their work tasks and environment.
