Forty-six percent of new hires fail in the first 18 months. Why?
"Companies tend to hire on competence and fire on fit," says HCA Partner Glenn Krauser. "Too often the fit between a prospect's style and personality and the corporate culture is given short shrift during the selection process."
Which is why it's a good idea to focus on developing two position descriptions: a written one that outlines the skills, experience and expertise you're looking for; and a "shadow position description" to help determine if the prospect is a good fit with your corporate culture and the team in which he or she will be working.
Defining Fit
Before any search begins, there is a four-step process that helps ensure a culturally good fit. Pivotal to success is a candid and in- depth discussion with the hiring executive.
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"Companies tend to hire on competence and fire on fit."
- - Glenn Krauser
HCA Partner
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First, the search team (internal or external) needs to clearly understand
the organization's overall culture. For an external search firm that would include interviews not only with the hiring executive but perhaps with members of the team with whom the new hire will work. It's critical to understand things like work pace, pressures and stress, integrity and trust, values, how employees are treated and communication processes.
Second, the reporting relationships must be clear. What's the style of the supervisor and what kinds of individuals will mesh well with him? For example, if the micro-managing CEO recruits a CFO who likes to work independently, there is potential conflict. Is the supervisor a mentor? Will he or she provide positive reinforce-ment?
Third, what's the style of the team with which the new employee will be working? Some teams work best by being highly collaborative while others thrive on competition. The search firm needs to look for people that will fit in with whatever team dynamics are already in place. "This is the area most often overlooked," says Krauser. "The corporate culture may not be the same as the team culture. The two can certainly be complementary and should be, but team dynamics are important to understand."
Finally, what does
the job itself require beyond the basic subject matter expertise? Will the recruit be managing big projects for which she'll need to be a good influencer, or will she be asked to broker change in the team for which she's responsible? What level or structure or direction will there be? Do you need a change agent or a "maintainer?"
The Shadow Job Description
With this input, a full understanding of the fit is created - the so-called unwritten shadow position description. The traits and behaviors that have been identified from interviews and knowledge of the organization become a roadmap for the screening and interview process. Once that's accomplished, the recruiting team should be ready to begin the process of sourcing candidates.
"You can make inferences from resumes...but finding a strong candidate will require much more scrutiny before a possible fit can be ascertained."
- - Carole Chandler
HCA Senior Project Manager
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Once candidates are identified, resumes are
scoured for both technical abilities and experiences and cultural tendencies, although uncovering personality traits requires more direct contact. "You can make inferences from resumes and your knowledge of organizations," says HCA Senior Project Manager Carole Chandler, "but finding a strong candidate will require much more scrutiny before a possible fit can be ascertained. That scrutiny begins with an initial phone screening where the prospect's skills, style, overall fit and compensation requirements are assessed."
A typical search project conducted by HCA will likely include 50 to 100 researched prospects that are contacted, recruited and screened for the role in question. Once the list is narrowed, the interview process begins to determine all the elements of talents, skills and cultural fits that are critical to achieving a successful hire.
"Finding the right people is never to be taken lightly, so the process must be thorough," says Krauser. "It's estimated that 80 percent of a company's value is in its human capital so it's worth the effort!"
In succeeding issues of The Human Capital Advisor we will discuss interviewing skills and other important elements of the vetting process. Our goal is to help you and your organization increase the success rate in your hires - so you can get the hire right.
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"Hire character.
Train skill."
- - Peter Schutz
former CEO, Porsche AG Worldwide
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