It’s a recruiter’s nightmare – hiring a new employee, only to find they don’t share the company vision, genuinely care about your products or services, or fit the company culture. You part ways, and the recruiting process begins again.
The Victorian Public Sector Commission estimates that a poor recruitment process can cost a company up to 2.5 times the rate of the position salary. Getting the match right from the start can help employers avoid repeating the recruitment process, and save time, resources and money.
Many companies have identified that aligning employee personality traits and values with organisational values has become as important as matching job requirements with the applicant’s skills and abilities.
How can you tell if a candidate will fit the culture
- Identify your existing company culture.
Organisational culture signifies the values and beliefs that define how people do business. It represents what is to be expected of employees, but also what they need to achieve to be rewarded.
Speak to current team members and supervisors about their workplace experiences. This will provide a better idea of the personality traits – in addition to the skills and abilities – a candidate needs in order to be an effective part of the team.
- Get to know the company vision before recruitment begins.
What is your company trying to achieve according to its vision and mission statement? Make this information clear when advertising so you can identify candidates who share similar values, as they are more likely to display attitudes and behaviours that support the company vision.
- Look for genuine interest.
Has the candidate stated the reasons they want to work for you? Do they want a career at your business, or are they just after any job they can get? Candidates who show a genuine interest in your company are more likely to believe in your service or product and support your vision.
- Let the candidate talk the talk.
Behavioural interview questions – those that encourage a candidate to discuss how they handled previous work scenarios – can help you ascertain their potential actions in the new role.
Group assessments can also identify potential behaviours by using group activities and problem-solving to show how people interact with their peers.
It is important to exercise objectivity when using behaviorally-based interview questions. A high-quality recruitment agency can offer support with interviewing and the rest of the recruitment process.
- Test their strengths.
Psychometric testing can be a good indicator of a candidate’s potential and existing behavioural patterns. The information gained, when used in addition to other recruiting strategies, can distinguish personality traits that may not have been identified during the interview process.
Recruitment doesn’t have to be a costly exercise. Get it right the first time by using the services of an experienced recruitment agency, and you might just find an employee who fits your culture to a tee.
