Vocational interests in the CAF

Abstract

1 online resource (120 pages) : colour graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 80-93).The Canadian Armed Forces’s (CAF) recruitment and retention crisis begs a greater understanding of the people within the organization and their experiences. Alignment between employees and their jobs influence attitudes, behaviours, and well-being. Vocational interests are an area of individual difference that can be leveraged to improve this alignment. Serving CAF members (n = 883) completed a survey including the O*NET Interest Profiler and self-report measures of fit, commitment, satisfaction, anxiety, engagement, and OCB. Latent Profile Analysis revealed four interest profiles. The Social Strategist profile was associated with the most positive work outcomes. Regression analyses provided little support for the notion that congruence is associated with positive work outcomes. Congruence between an individual’s interests and their occupation was the strongest predictor of work outcomes. Understanding the interests of members and their relationships with work outcomes can inform CAF policies and strategies to improve members’ experiences and inform recruitment efforts