As a recruiter, you know it’s not just about quality. Yes, your job is to find and hire the most qualified candidates - but also to ensure a fit for both the job specifications and the culture of your organization. Once you hire top talent, how do you keep them challenged? I met with a large corporation a week ago where this exact point came up. One of the biggest issues they face after hire is keeping employees engaged and challenged by the work that needs to get done. Employees need to fit in with the team, department and company. How do you determine the fit?

I came across one of Neil Hernandez’s blogs the other day. He says

Recruiting is simple. All you have to do is understand an open job, find a person that fits that job, and then fill that position. I don’t understand why recruiting companies exert so much time, effort, and money in filling jobs.

Easier said than done. While I think the focus here was on, what I call, “right recruiting,” it’s difficult to ensure each position filled is filled with top talent. Superstars. You know the ones … they are the employees that are the most productive, generate the most revenue and generally produce the happiest clients. These superstars match the company culture. More importantly, they fit their role.

These days, you can’t just look at a resume and predict that a person will fit the job. Even interviews don’t always predict a candidate’s success. Do you rely on a gut feeling? I recently commented on a blog pondering whether we hire for qualifications or because we just like the candidate. To effectively assess whether a candidate is a fit for a particular role, we need to get a good sense of who they are, what we believe they can contribute, how much drive they have and how much they want the job. You might be surprised how highly I weigh that last contributing factor. Considering that mis-hires make up for approximately 65% of hires in the first year, should you employ personality assessment tests? As explored in Jasmine’s recent post, you cannot solely rely on the findings of these tests.

Job fit is crucial in my book. If you don’t have it, your organization’s bottom line will suffer. Subsequently, being in the wrong job can hinder your happiness in life. So, how are you going to find it?