Person–Job Fit

Person–job (P-J) fit is defined as the compatibility between individuals and the jobs or tasks they perform at work. This definition includes two basic types of compatibility. The first is based on employee needs and job supplies available to meet those needs, labeled needs–supplies or supplies–values fit. The second is based on the match between job demands and employee abilities, termed demands–abilities fit. In the past, the term P-J fit has been used to describe fit with occupations or vocations as well, but more recently it has been distinguished from this type of fit (see the entries “Person–Environment Fit” and “Person–Vocation Fit”).

Based on interactional psychology, the underlying premise of P-J fit is that characteristics of the person and the job work jointly to determine individual ...