Everyone wants a job that suits his or her work style and personality, but a new survey shows it's no easy task - for job seekers or employers. Nearly half (46 percent) of administrative professionals said they have, at one time or another, misread a work environment.

Similarly, 59 percent of human resource (HR) managers polled admitted having misjudged someone's fit for a role. The vast majority (85 percent) of these managers also said their companies have lost an employee because he or she was not suited to the firm's work environment.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals, in collaboration with the International Association of Administrative Professionals and HR.com. More than 300 administrative professionals and 400 HR managers took part in the study. The findings appear in Fitting In, Standing Out and Building Remarkable Work Teams, a resource guide produced for administrative professionals and managers.

Administrative professionals were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the statement, "I've misjudged work environments in the past." Their responses:



HR managers were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the statement, "I've misjudged a candidate's fit for my company in the past." Their responses:



HR managers also were asked to what extent they agreed or disagreed with the statement, "My company has lost a staff member because he/she wasn't a good fit with the company's work environment." Their responses:



Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam, pointed out that the interview is a prime opportunity for job seekers to assess whether the organization is a fit, and vice versa. "The interview is a two-way street," she said. "Employers are looking for clues to an applicant's work ethic and personality, and job seekers want to learn more about the company culture."