Recruit for “fit”
It’s been clear for some time that one of the biggest competitive advantages any organisation can have is its people. All other things being equal, it will be the people experience that customers remember. Or put another way, it is no good having the most beautifully kitted out shop with the most gorgeous stock, if the staff members are slow and rude.
Having the right people in the right job matters. It costs money and time to recruit, train and replace staff. Not to mention the impact on morale and productivity of high turnover.
Organisations know this, so they spend a lot of time devising clever ways to ensure that they are getting the right person in the job. They “recruit for attitude,” “recruit for fit,” “recruit for cultural fit”; all different ways of saying that just because someone can do the job, it doesn’t mean that they will do the job.
If there were a magic formula that could predict this, we would all be much better off, but until then it is a little bit science and a little bit art.
“Reverse” interviewing
Having said all that, in my view, recruitment is still too much about what the employer wants. And whilst we talk more about it being important that both parties, ” interview” each other for fit, in reality this doesn’t happen as much as it should. Of course, sometimes this is about necessity — sometimes, the potential employee just really needs a job, and doesn’t feel that they have the luxury of being able to pick and choose. But I would argue, that if there is any scope at all for a bit of reverse interviewing, then for everyone’s sake, this should happen.
Of course, there are many examples of when an employer terminates the employee’s employment because it isn’t working out. But there are many more examples of when an employee leaves of their own accord. Often, this is quite early on in the piece; and it is disruptive and costly to the employer, and causes the employee personal angst around the decision to go.
The three warning signs
In my view, when it doesn’t work out, there are often clear warning signs:
The initial recruitment process
Think of this as the ‘courting’ process of an employer. It’s often where they are putting their best foot forward. Yes, mistakes happen and misunderstandings occur, but if there are a number of difficulties or misunderstandings around the recruitment process and subsequent offer process, it may be warning sign number one that this isn’t the right organisation. Now, of course, sometimes these mistakes and missteps are just a clear indication that the organisation actually needs your expertise to assist and fix such issues; but it is worth considering that if this is when organisations are often at their best, what does their worst look like?
The job
The next warning sign is when the job isn’t as actually described. Often, employers upsell the job, thinking that the reality might turn off potential applicants. This is a great strategy for getting really good candidates, but often comes unstuck when those really good candidates turn up to do the job, and find that in reality the job is nothing as described, or that the degree of autonomy and control is actually quite limited. Or the flip side, that the job is actually much more than described.
Values
Finally, quite early on, there are usually signs that the organisation’s values are not the same as the employees. This doesn’t mean either is right or wrong, but just different.
Know thyself
From a potential employee perspective, some of these warning signs can be dealt with by knowing thyself first; by going into an interview being clear on what you can offer, but also knowing what you “need” to be happy in a job.
Are you the sort of person that thrives on innovation and being able to do things differently and being able to put your spin on things? Then ask about that at interview. Is that what the job is about, or is it about following the prescribed process? If it is about following the prescribed process, is the employer open to looking at new ways of doing things? If not, then maybe this isn’t the right job for you.
Are you clear on what your values are? If the job is one where those values might be tested, then talk about those up front. Often, organisations are happy for you to talk to current employees, as this can be a good indicator of the culture and values of the organisation.
Finally, it is worth considering that if there is a pattern of where jobs didn’t work out, are there some underlying issues that need to be addressed around the “right job” for you. There are some great profiling tools that can assist in working out what is important to you, and the sorts of roles and organisations that might provide a good fit. Alternatively, coaching can get to the bottom of what you really want and need.
It is no longer called the Master-Servant Act for good reason. The employer — employee relationship is becoming more equal as the ways of working change and different generations demand different things of their working lives. This is a good thing, as it means as employees we are not passive in the relationship. We can take responsibility for some of the relationship and for working out whether the right job is the right job for us.
