Hiring For A Great Fit? Assess at Three Levels
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By Susan Battley in Leadership Published: Monday, 19 October 09 - 02:55 PM (GMT -05:00) Last Updated: Monday, 19 October 09 - 08:45 PM (GMT -05:00) |
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Hiring the right person for the job is a high-stakes activity that can be tough to get right. Lots of smart, experienced executives and corporate boards have a hard time making the right choice, as we know from unwanted executive turnover and premature departures. What accounts for this costly revolving door? Often, there was a poor fit between the person and the position or organization right from the beginning that the hiring decision makers did not see. To maximize the chances of a great "whole person" fit between job candidate and organization, it's imperative to take these three levels into consideration.
Three Levels of Goodness of Fit
Level One: Expertise and Skills. Does the candidate have the professional background, credentials, work experiences, and relevant track record to be successful in the position?
Level Two. Mindset and Attitude. Does the candidate possess curiosity, flexibility, and openness to new ideas and approaches? Or does s/he come across as an "expert" with all the answers?
Level Three: Organizational Culture. Does the candidate recognize and appreciate the organization's values and accomplishments? Does s/he demonstrate true awareness of how culture affects execution and change initiatives? (Not just lip service.)
Just like an iceberg, Level One criteria appear "above the water line." Hiring usually focuses on a candidate's goodness of fit as determined by a match in expertise and work experience. But Levels Two and Three - those criteria that occur "below the water line" - are where true selection compatibility needs to be assessed. Level One compatibility is necessary but not sufficient. For a winning hire, the successful candidate needs to be a great fit in terms of personal attitude and compatibility with the organization's culture. Otherwise, s/he is likely to be rejected like a bad organ transplant, since individual style and outlook are inconsistent with organizational values and ways of doing things.
Sometimes, when an executive or manager is faring poorly, her/his performance is really a symptom - not a root cause - of a mis-match from the beginning that no one recognized. When organizations assess candidates on all three levels, they dramatically improve the chances of a great fit and hire who goes on to deliver outstanding results.
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