Talent attraction and retention is a battlefield. Companies are vying for employee attention, and we are all determined to find the perfect match. Traditional hiring tells us that to find this person, we need to search for someone who might simply ‘work’ or ‘do the job.’ And we generally hire this person because we get hiring fatigue and choose to settle.
It is time to stop settling. There are people out there who are perfect for your open positions, but it does take work and a little patience. Here are some qualities to look for when searching for “the one”.
Culture Fit
Will the person fit into your team? Do they live your core values? To answer this question, you will need to first understand your core values and what type of person you look for on your team. If your team is entrepreneurial problem solvers, beware of the person who likes everything perfectly defined. If your team values personal relationships, beware of the person who hates working with people. Culture fit does not meaning hiring clones, but it does mean understanding what is important to your team and making sure everyone you bring on is a great fit.
Experience
Does the person bring you the experience that you need to perform the job? Have they ever done what you will need them to do? It seems like an obvious question, but it is often overlooked. Sometimes you need to think about basic experiences. If the person needs to write reports for the job, have they done that before? If the person needs to lead meetings, have they done it before? Can they perform at the level you need? If they don’t have the experience, it is something that can be taught and is that person teachable?
Personality
Every person is hardwired with a set of natural skills. These skills can actually be measured by a variety of personality and skills assessments. If a person naturally likes to be around other people, don’t hire them for a job where they will work alone all day long. If a person is not naturally organized, be careful about hiring them as an organizer.
Desire
Your hiring process is really a two-way conversation. You are learning about the candidate and they are learning about you. As they learn about your team and position, part of the process should be gauging their own interest level. If they aren’t excited about the position, you might want to move on. However, if they desire to join your team, they will come in with energy and excitement.
Invest the Time
You are adding a person to your team. Your team deserves people who are a good fit. You deserve someone who will be a great fit. The person you hire deserves the best possible chance of being successful. Finding the right fit requires time. Explore all of these angles to ensure that the candidate is a great fit. If they are not a great fit, then move on. When hiring them or after you have hired them, take care of them.
Good fits create good teams. Great fits create great teams.
