For many organizations, hiring staff, especially for crucial positions, is seen as a tricky endeavor often tinged with luck and at a significant expense. The basis of hires relies on the quality of a resume and the extensiveness of experience. When it all goes well, everyone believes their judgments are validated.
The startling statistic is that less than twenty percent of new hires are considered a success by organizations. Factor in the disruption, hiring, and firing cost, plus the time to hire, train and immerse someone into a role, the expenses of a new hire can be immense.
With many organizations, and specifically those in the service industry, the impact is far-reaching. So why and how do we get it so wrong?
We focus on the experience alone. Rarely do we seek to understand how well the individual performed, especially in situations of stress. While a resume will often tell us what they did, where they were, and what their accolades were, we rarely gain any insight into how they deal with and overcome adversity.
Firstly, is the person aligned with our passion and purpose as an organization? If not, how are we likely to get them motivated to our cause?
Do they align with our core values? Not precisely what we do, but more so how we do it. Will they fit into who we are and how we behave as individuals and as part of the team?
Taking the time to understand better the challenges the individuals have addressed and how they approach complex, difficult situations will bode well to appreciate their ability to overcome adversity.
While it may be the same person, there is often far more to the individual than skills and experience. As a recruiter, you will be obtaining the whole package, and the other factors will be the ones that often determine whether the partnership will be a success or not.
