Journal of Management 2002 28(1) 27–46 Applicant Impression Management: Dispositional Influences and Consequences for Recruiter Perceptions of Fit and Similarity  Amy Kristof-Brown ∗ Henry B. Tippie College of Business, Department of Management and Organizations, University of Iowa, 108 Pappajohn Business Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Murray R. Barrick Henry B. Tippie College of Business, Department of Management and Organizations, University of Iowa, 108 Pappajohn Business Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Melinda Franke Lee Enterprises, Human Resources Department, 215 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA 52801, USA Received 4 July 2000; received in revised form 3 November 2000; accepted 26 December 2000 This study investigates how applicant characteristics influence the use of impression man- agement (IM) tactics in interviews, and how these behaviors affect interviewer perceptions of person–job fit (P–J fit) and applicant–interviewer similarity. Results from 72 applicants demonstrated that extraverted applicants made greater use of self-promotion during their in- terviews, while agreeableness was associated with non-verbal cues. Self-promotion was the IM tactic most strongly related to interviewers’ perceptions of P–J fit, whereas non-verbal IM influenced perceived similarity. The practical implications of these findings for applicant preparation are discussed, as well as concerns regarding the long-term effects of IM use on selection decision making. © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Statistics suggest that the interview is, by far, the most widely used tool for selection, and is the exclusive means of selecting candidates for 85–90% of companies (Bell, 1992). Although applicants’ objective credentials, such as job experience or GPA often determine  Data for this project was collected as part of a larger study conducted by the second author. A second study using data from this investigation can be found in Barrick, M.R., Patton, G.K., & Haugland, S.N. 2000. Accuracy of interviewer judgements of job applicant personality traits. Personnel Psychology, 53: 925–954. There is no duplication in the causal relationships reported in both studies. ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-319-335-0928; fax: +1-319-335-1956. E-mail addresses: amy-kristof-brown@uiowa.edu (A. Kristof-Brown), m-barrick@uiowa.edu (M.R. Barrick), mindy.franke@lee.net (M. Franke). 0149-2063/02/$ – see front matter © 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. PII:S0149-2063(01)00131-3