The back-and-forth of job interviews often feels like dating. 'Will they like me?' candidates wonder. 'Will they stick around?' companies ask.

Turns out, hiring managers at elite professional firms really do tend to evaluate candidates as if they were potential romantic partners or new friends, according to recent research by Kellogg management professor Lauren Rivera.

The Kellogg study found that employers tend to evaluate candidates on whether they'd be likely to hang out with them, rather than strictly focusing on a person's qualifications for the job.

Even dating site eHarmony is getting into the recruiting game. The company is developing a recruiting site to more effectively match companies to candidates, says Grant Langston, vice president of customer experience.

"Where do people not experience a lot of compatibility?," says Mr. Langston. "One of the first things we came up with was jobs We are currently trying to isolate what are the things that make an employee a good fit." The product, which is in the early stages, may come out next year.