From Interview Impressions to Workplace Reality: Re-thinking Impression Management and Person-Organization Fit

Abstract

Organizations rely heavily on job interviews to select candidates; however, high interview performance does not always translate into effective workplace behavior. This literature review examines reasons for this mismatch through the lenses of Impression Management Theory and Person-Organization (P-O) Fit Theory. Impression Management Theory (IM) explains how candidates strategically present themselves during interviews to create favorable impressions that may not reflect their authentic behaviors. P-O fit theory emphasizes alignment between individual values and organizational culture, suggesting that misalignment can result in workplace behaviors that diverge from interview expectations. The review integrates recent evidence (2020-2025) on digital recruitment, personality traits, and organizational socialization to propose an integrated framework explaining the interview-behavior gap. The findings offer practical insights for improving recruitment accuracy and predicting job performance.