If people are differentially motivated on the basis of individual differences, this implies
important practical consequences with respect to staffing decisions and the selection of the
right motivational techniques for managers. In two different samples (students facing
graduation vs full-time employees), the relationships between personality traits and the
preference for job characteristics concerning either extrinsic (job environment) or intrinsic job
features (work itself) were investigated. Two personality traits [openness to experience and
core self-evaluations (CSE)] were consistently found to be positively related to the preference
concerning work characteristics, and CSE showed incremental validity with regard to
intrinsic work motivation factors (e.g., experienced meaningfulness, autonomy). Furthermore,
age was differentially linked to those job characteristics. The results are discussed with
regards to the optimal Person–Job Fit and the practical utility of the personality constructs.