Do individual differences predict perceived employability? A systematic literature review

The contemporary labour market's dynamism and unpredictability has elevated the importance of perceived employability. This systematic literature review employed PRISMA methodology to synthesize evidence from 24 quantitative studies (published between 2013 and 2024) examining individual differences – including personality factors and malleable psychological resources – as predictors of perceived employability. Results reveal a fundamental distinction: psychological resources (e.g., psychological capital, self-efficacy) demonstrated consistent positive associations (89% of tests significant and positive), while Big Five traits remained limited and heterogeneous due to the scarcity of studies (43% positive, 28% negative, 29% null). Theoretically, this supports an integrated whole-person framework where resources function as proximal self-regulatory mechanisms directly informing perceived employability, whereas stable personality factors operate distally through context-dependent pathways. Practically, findings recommend shifting focus from static trait-based assessments to resource-development interventions and calibration strategies to ensure accurate self-perceptions, particularly in student populations. Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs to disentangle these distal-proximal relationships, avoid conceptual overlapping and measurement bias, and examine systemic contextual factors beyond individual agency.