Unless you’re a hermit or hiding under a rock, you’d be hard pressed not to hear all the hubbub about the royal wedding lately – a real life Cinderella type story as Prince William is marries commoner Kate Middleton.
Everyone loves a good wedding, and if it involves princes, princesses, scandal, the potential for more scandal, aristocrats marrying non-aristocrats, pretty clothes and lots of famous people, we’re all in!
There is drama – will Kate falter under the weight of royal responsibilities and constant scrutiny, or will she turn out to be a Shining Star?
There is romance – Kate and William met in college and through the ups and downs of young adulthood still managed to end up together. And let’s not forget the scandal of Prince William’s parents, their less than successful union and the inevitable comparisons the young couple are facing.
The truth is that there are all kinds of hopes and dreams attached to the beginning of any new relationship. Certainly a royal wedding is going to get the most press, with literally the world focused on the bride and groom to be, but we all wish for the best when we join forces with another individual, whether it is in a marriage, a friendship or a business relationship.
Why should we care?
Why is this story on the Integrity HR Human Resources Blog?
Well, because as HR professionals, we all know that we have optimistic expectations for every new hire, wanting them to be the perfect fit for the job, the manager and the organization.
We also know that things don’t always turn out the way we want and what seemed like a fairytale romance ends up more like a nightmare … whether on Elm Street or Main Street!
So, what can we do to improve the odds of a successful hire?
There are in fact a couple of things to think about in order to make sure your new hire is a good fit.
- Who are you and what do you need? – Is your organization fast paced and highly creative? Hiring an individual who is more deliberate and likes to do things by the book could be a big problem, even if he/she has the defined skill set for the job.Conversely, if your organization is highly structured and fairly formal, a more casual and spontaneous individual will not be a good fit.
- What are they interested in and how do they behave? – Most savvy individuals know how to work an interview, presenting themselves and their experience within the context of your requirements (that being said – did you hear the one about the candidate who came to an interview with their toddler because the nanny didn’t show up, the spouse was out of town, and toddler proceeded to run around the room while the recruiter tried to get in as many questions as possible between candidate’s admonishments of “Come here, sweetie”?).Determining what the candidate’s true tendencies and interests are can save everyone a lot of time and heartache.
So how do you find the answers to these questions?
There are extremely effective assessments available that will help stack the hiring odds in your favor, by providing the means to identify key traits in successful employees. Once those traits are identified, you will be equipped to determine whether a qualified candidate is going to be a good fit.
Studies have shown that you have an approximately 14% chance of identifying excellent people simply by interviewing alone. If you focus on job matching, i.e. the right person in the right job, your odds go up to about 75%.
Those are some pretty serious numbers!
What this all comes down to is equipping yourself with the right assessment tools to make good decisions on the front end of the hiring process. It will save you and your organization money and time, and reduce turnover and frustration. That sounds like the beginning of happily ever after to me!
Contact Integrity HR to learn more about how you can use assessments in your organization.
