Previous research has demonstrated that overweight individuals suffer discrimination in various aspects of work, including the hiring process. The literature also suggests the occurrence of differential hiring practices towards overweight applicants when compared to their thinner counterparts. However, examination of these issues within the sport and fitness industry is lacking. The purpose of the current study was to assess perceived person-job fit, likelihood of hiring, and ascribed attributions for individuals applying for the position of group fitness instructor when qualifications and fitness level were varied. Participants (N = 270) participated in a 2 (thin, overweight) x 2 (qualified, unqualified) experiment. Results from a MANCOVA procedure (controlling for applicant attractiveness, similarity to self, and rater sex) demonstrated significant main effects for expertise (i.e. qualifications) and fitness level (i.e. overweight vs. thin), but these effects were qualified by a significant expertise X fitness level interaction, Wilks' Lambda = .91, F (3, 267) = 10.17, p < .01. Thus, the interaction term is interpreted. Follow-up univariate analysis showed significant univariate effects for attributions, F (1, 269) = .5.10, p < .05, person-job fit, F (1, 269) = 6.23, p < .05, and likelihood of hiring, F (1, 269) = 12.24, p < .01. Estimated marginal means suggest that perceptions of person-job fit, likelihood of hiring, and positive attributions were low when overweight and thin applicants were unqualified. Conversely, when equally qualified, perceptions of person-job fit, likelihood of hiring, and positive attributes were higher for the thin applicant than they were for the overweight applicant. The results of this study not only support previous literature with regard to weight discrimination toward overweight applicants but also provide practical implications to the fitness industry. Specifically, the results suggest that there may be a necessary match between the fitness level required for the job of group fitness instructor, perception of the fitness level held by the applicant and hiring intentions.Keyword(s): administration/mgmt, diversity, sport management