By Michele Genet

Across the recruiting and staffing industries, you’ll often hear this mantra: Hire for fit and train for the role. But what does hiring for the right fit really mean in practical terms?

Ultimately, an organization wants the work to be accomplished as efficiently and effectively as possible. The more that a company can bring together individuals who are aligned in how they get that overarching job done, the better positioned it is to hit business and operational goals.

Let’s look a little deeper at what the right fit means.

  1. Cultural fit is a two-way street.

A good way to start thinking about cultural fit is by considering different work styles.

For example, as a hiring manager, are you looking for someone who can work independently to take an assignment to the finish line? As someone considering that role, do you find yourself wanting to work collaboratively with others to get the job done? Right there, putting that candidate into that assignment has red flags before the talent even accepts the role.

In more scientific terms, we’re talking about the emotional intelligence that people bring to the workplace. On top of standard procedures, established teams often adopt unwritten practices and speak a different language. Hiring for fit means bringing in a new player who can connect with the existing team and quickly adjust to leadership’s expectations.

Because people represent one of a business’ largest investments, we spend a lot of time focusing on making the perfect match. We get to know our candidates and understand how they work and the environments where they can thrive. For example, a veteran biomed with 30 years of experience who likes to work solo might be the ideal candidate for an assignment to rotate among several rural healthcare systems.

Even location can make a difference. Someone might not want to take a job in a location that sees a lot of snow in the winter. But it can be even more specific than that. Candidates coming into California for certain construction industries face multiple, strict layers of regulations to design and build facilities more resistant to earthquake damage. It requires the right personality and rigor to successfully navigate.

  1. Train the right person to do the job.

As staffing partners, we pride ourselves on first understanding expectations for a role and then placing someone who can shine in that environment. That doesn’t mean they walk in the door with all the skills to do the job completely and confidently right away. But if you hire someone with the right mindset and a work style that meshes with your existing team, you’re already making major strides toward your business goals.

Training up might be as simple as teaching a new hire how to use a different software than they used in previous roles. It might mean bringing in someone with general customer service skills and sending them for certification on a new platform. Even better is when a relatively inexperienced worker can be trained to work exactly how that team functions, because different project managers and companies all operate differently. This investment by the hiring manager and supervisors also nurtures that cultural fit, as new employees are integrated into the team and build relationships across the team.

We also see a lot of cross-training among placements. Back to that biomed example: Another veteran might be placed best in a busier hospital, where they can mentor younger team members about maintaining a broader array of medical equipment.

  1. Be proactive in confirming things are working.

From the first day, both hiring managers and talent should encourage open conversation. New hires will need a transition period as they learn the job duties and the existing team members bring them into the daily operations. We encourage talent to check in weekly with their supervisors to share how the experience is going, talk through any issues and even share any opportunities they might have identified – which goes a long way in establishing trust.

Our Far West team always encourages early feedback from both the hiring managers and the individuals we place. With that insight, we can help negotiate through any hurdles, such as getting clarity on responsibilities, and ensure the assignment starts strongly. In most cases, because we’ve built on the base mission of identifying the right fit, we can successfully smooth out that experience and ensure everyone is getting their needs and expectations met.

The perfect fit lifts up an organization.

Placing the right person in an open role can be so uplifting for the existing team. They welcome those new contributions and contagious enthusiasm. The right match delivers countless benefits to the overall organization.

Whether you’re an employee or hiring manager looking for the right fit, let the Far West Staffing Services team make that match. Check out our latest job postings – and let us know where you see your future.