Hiring new people who are a good fit for the team is crucial to an organisation’s success. You can assess their abilities and competencies in a variety of ways. Realistic work previews can be used to give potential employees a glimpse of what their future careers will be like. A common mistake that all organisations make is choosing the best employee solely based on competencies. One has to look beyond a simple resume to determine organisational fit. Person-organisation fit is important and there are multiple ways to assess the same. Employers need not employ the same person with a similar set of answers. A good organisational fit for your company can be absolutely anyone. Your company’s workforce must be diverse and rich in terms of what it can offer for exponential growth. From assessments, and interviews to talking in person, the article will traverse you through all of it.
But first of all, why is it even important to invest so much effort into hiring the right person? There are a lot of other people on board too who can keep the shift afloat right? wrong. Big companies may in some cases give a pass to hiring misfits however the same can turn out to be a build-or-break thing for small companies and startups.
When you’re screening someone, consider these two things
- Job Competency
- Organisational Fit
Job Competency
Competencies are the knowledge, skills, abilities and other "worker-based" factors that help a company screen a candidate for a good fit and differentiate superior performance from average performance under specified circumstances. Competencies are identified to clearly define the essential functions of the job. Following are the pointers that will help to determine the job competency of the candidate and will make you a good fit for the team.
Application Phase
Screening Resumes
Resumes have been one of the most old-school and essential methods to screen candidates for a good fit. Make sure to properly scan important pointers like education background, work history, LoRs and relevant certifications. There are important pointers to consider while evaluating a resume. These are just suggestive criteria and not the basis for the sole rejection of an employee.
- The format of the Resume - Grammatical errors and words unrelated to the job description reflect a lack of attention or sincerity on the part of the candidate. If the job profile is generalised then these mistakes can be ignored, however, in the case of highly specialised roles like aviation pilots and software engineers, this can prove to be a disastrous misfit.
- Unjustified Job Gaps - Until and unless it’s a matter of privacy, unexplainable job gaps can be fine. However, it’s good to conduct a background check by yourself with the help of sources and referrals. This can be done to ensure that these gaps aren’t a result of the ineffectiveness of the candidate.
- Length and Relevance - Recruiters take an average of 6 seconds to scan a resume according to insights by Zety. See to it that the length of the resume is 1-2 pages. This reflects that the candidate values the time of the employer. Look for relevant work experience in a candidate's resume. If you’re looking to hire someone for an HR position, then the candidate shouldn’t include their experience as an artist for XYZ company.
Properly Screening Cover Letters
Cover letters tell about a candidate in a more comprehensive manner. Your organisation can ask for the same before rolling out the application process. To get a structured answer, try to list questions like:
Q) Why do you want to apply for this role?
Q) How do your strengths and weaknesses complement the role?
Q) What do you think this company can provide you with that others can’t?
Ask for Formal Video Applications
If you want to gain more detailed insights into a candidate and want to screen him for a good fit then short and timed video applications are also a good choice. You can also give day-to-day workplace situations and tasks in the set of questions. It will also give a sense of their communication skills and problem-solving skills.
Video Interview
In COVID-19, live interviews work best for gauging whether a candidate is a good fit or not. You’re able to see their thought process, communication skills, problem-solving skills, attitude and consistency following pointers stated in the resume. Here are a few things to look for in a video interview to screen a good candidate. You can also have a panel of interviewers for a more detailed interview with a diverse set of questions.
Clear and Effective Communication
Look if the candidate can efficiently and crisply communicate the points they want to convey. The interview is supposed to be interactive instead of a mundane one-sided process. If the candidate can add brilliantly to your points and asks relevant questions, then all of these are good signs.
Consistency
Try to cross-check the authenticity and consistency of the answers of the candidate concerning their submitted resume. If a candidate has mentioned that they know Excel and they fail to solve a simple financial modelling problem based on Excel then it can be a red flag.
Period of Probation
Give them the specifics of the probation term and observe how they react. For all employment positions you aim to hire, a trial term should be required. For this work, you can also take the help of a Best Placement Agency that will cross-check the candidate under the probation period.
This method for determining if a candidate is a good fit for a team helps to protect the business while also assisting in making modifications to the candidate's working style if necessary. Regardless of how accurate your hiring procedure is, a probation period is still required to be on the safe side.
Assessments for In-Depth Work Evaluation: Aptitude and Personality Tests
Based on your convenience, an assessment can come either before or after the interview.
Aptitude Tests To Screen a Candidate
Aptitude tests are used to assess a person's intelligence and can be used to screen a candidate and assess a job according to the candidate's potential. Aptitude tests are used by a lot of organisations in the employment process. It allows the recruiter or employer to evaluate a candidate on grounds of intelligence, logic, verbal and analytical reasoning, personality type and mathematical ability.
Personality Tests To Screen a Candidate
Personality tests are used in the employment process. Personality assessments are used in the hiring process to identify if an applicant is a suitable fit for the job in terms of preferred working environment, demeanour, work ethic, and overall nature. These personality tests often come in the form of self-taking surveys or questionnaires prepared by the company.
Mock Workday at Workplace
After every process has been done, the candidates can be called on-site in the office. This will test their skills in real time in an office environment. The candidates can be called in to complete a set of tasks similar to what they would be required to do if they get the offer. Provide them with proper guidance and see if they’re able to do the tasks properly. See how they react when problems come in.
Organisational Fit
We talk about organisational – or culture – fit when an employee's personal and professional beliefs and opinions connect with and augment those of the company they work for. As a result, it's critical to identify what constitutes a good fit. And identifying the company's purpose, standards, and vision is the first step. Just like for determining job competency, there are numerous ways for determining whether a candidate can be categorised under organisational fit as well.
Asking Questions that are Centred Around Company Culture
Try asking questions like which work environment is preferred by the candidate and what kind of dynamics they look forward to maintaining with their co-workers. You can also have a questionnaire prepared that can include company culture-specific questions and situations. See the responses and try to gauge whether the candidate will be a good organisational fit or not.
Listed below are some questions for your reference
In an interview, ask the following questions to establish cultural fit:
• In what kind of environment do you thrive and make progress? (Does the response reflect the culture of your company?)
• What values do you hold dear, and where would you like to work?
• What motivates you to work here?
• Based on what you've seen, how would you describe our culture? Is this something that you find useful?
• What best practices from another organisation would you bring with you? Do you think you'll be able to apply these best practices in our setting?
• Tell me about a moment when you worked with or for an organisation when you didn't feel like you fit in well. Why didn't it work out?
Reference checks
One of the most crucial tasks in the hiring process is to examine references. Because past performance is frequently the strongest predictor of future performance, references allow you to speak with previous supervisors to see if the candidate is qualified for the position. Avoid asking closed-ended inquiries. For this, you can take the help of placement agencies for their best staffing services and to screen a candidate for a good fit.
Concentrate on questions that will provide you with more information about their performance, accomplishments, and challenges. Make sure you pay attention so you can delve a little deeper if needed.
Conclusion
Instead of focusing just on selecting the best candidate for the job, consider identifying the best organisational fit as well. A combination of job competency and organisational fit will determine who takes the tag of being a good fit for your company.
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