Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER August 7, 2017 16 FEATURES ASSESSMENTS Assessing workplace fit Often misunderstood, fit impacts everything from productivity to retention By Rowan O'Grady R ecently, while sitting in traffic, a sticker on the back-end of a minivan caught my eye: "A bad day of golf is better than a good day at work." I count myself among those who love what they do but, like almost everyone, there are days when working is "work" and the idea of getting out to play a round of golf definitely has its appeal. e fact is not everyone skips off happily to work every morning. What's the solution? In most cas- es, it's about fit — an often-mis- understood concept that impacts everything from personal stress, productivity and unhappiness to low workplace morale and poor retention. Over the past two decades, employers have changed their approach to hiring. And can- didates have transformed their expectations. While previous generations may have been driven by finan- cial compensation, many young professionals are willing to take a reduction in salary for bet- ter work-life balance and career growth opportunities. With many Canadians admit- ting their decision to move jobs was based on factors other than salary, cash is no longer king of the employment market. Fit is of fundamental impor- tance. So what exactly is it, and why is it so elusive? Fit is the match between peo- ple, workplace practices, and expected social behaviour. And there are four factors: Work ethic: is is when an in- dividual and organization match in terms of work ethic standards and style. So the levels of passion and ambition, and the standards of quality and expertise, are the same. Social behaviour: This has the styles of communication, in- teraction and approach between an employee and an organization aligned, so personal character- istics and nature between team- mates match. Conformity: is means an or- ganization or manager allows em- ployees to work with a preferred level of flexibility and conformity. Team versus individual match: is is when the working style between an employer and employee match. e worker has her desired independence and the right mix of team collaboration. Employers frequently say fit is a critical factor when building high- performance teams. Despite this, it is often undervalued during the hiring process. And there is often a major dis- connect between what employers are saying and what they are do- ing, with few companies investing the time and energy to properly assess job applicants for fit at the forefront. But this isn't just an employer issue. While candidates say fit is essential to their career goals and overall happiness, many don't know what their ideal fit actu- ally is. e result: An employee will take a new job, only to realize three months in that she hates the company, and so the culture — not the compensation — is the culprit. She loves the pay but can't stand her manager's working style. Sound familiar? Too often, indi- viduals struggle with assessing fit when making decisions about hir- ing new staff members or accept- ing a job offer, resulting in person- al, professional and financial costs. For employees, poor fit can mean hours spent being unhap- py at work, and even more time dedicated to looking for some- thing new. It can mean potential job loss. For employers, hiring a candi- date who doesn't fit with the ex- isting team and corporate culture can mean lost productivity, low morale and high turnover. Fit is often the number one rea- son employers say an employee doesn't work out, ranking behind seemingly more important ele- ments such as skills, career pro- gression and salary. While fun or social interaction are not always considered with a new opportunity or a potential hire, interaction and communica- tion style — major components of fit — are often cited as the reason for a failed hire. How to get fit In many industries in Canada, there is a race to find and retain top talent, and this perceived skills shortage may be pushing employers into making poor hir- ing decisions. Combine this with the lack of internal resources, and there is a recipe for disaster. Understanding what employ- ees are looking for in terms of workplace culture — and know- ing how to effectively screen for fit and communicate an organiza- tion's value proposition — means attracting and retaining skilled people who are a good match and in it for the long haul. So, how do employers find skilled workers who are also go- ing to fit within the organization? Here are a few tips to keep in mind: Know your culture: Start by defining your working culture fit. Understand the key components that make a team successful from a work ethic, social interaction, and team reliance standpoint — and keep these in mind when assessing potential candidates. If the company culture is still devel- oping or in need of change, don't be afraid to hire someone who can act as a catalyst. Kick up your criteria: Put less weight on technical requirements and include factors such as social behaviour to help find a better match. Rather than hire just on the basis of a job interview, con- sider bringing one or two of the final candidates into the office set- ting or a workplace event before presenting them with an offer. See how they interact with their pro- spective teammates. Bring in the team: No hir- ing manager should be an is- land. Solicit feedback from other members of the team who will be working with the candidate if he's hired. ey might catch some- thing that was missed during the interview and have a better sense of whether they could work with him or how that person will fit in from a day-to-day perspective. Be prepared: Prepare for the interview as if you are the candi- date. While tools such as psycho- metric testing can be great aids to help screen a candidate, nothing compares to human interaction. In the interview, use behaviour or situational questions to assess how a candidate approaches proj- ects, challenges and other team- mates. Try, as much as possible, to get real-life examples from the candidate's previous work experience. e right job can change a per- son's life, and the right person can transform a business. Ensuring a candidate fits a company's culture isn't just something that benefits the employee and the team — it benefits the larger business. Rowan O'Grady is the Toronto-based president of Hays Canada, a recruit- ment agency. For more information, visit www.hays.ca. While candidates say fit is essential to their career goals and overall happiness, many don't know what their ideal fit actually is.

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