Every manager knows the frustration and disappointment of hiring an employee who initially fit the bill, but just did not work out.
What went wrong? The resume looked good, the experience seemed right, the candidate gave a good impression in the interview, and references were positive. Yet, in less than a few months it became evident that this person did not have the interest, motivation or personal characteristics to sustain the requirements of the position.
We hire people for their skills. However, we primarily fire them for their attitudes, poor management judgment or interpersonal skills, or disinterest in the work.
In the selection process, most employers focus on eligibility issues such as education, training, skills and related experience. While it goes without question that eligibility is very important, in the final analysis, suitability is equally as important.
A person suitable for a position tends to enjoy the different tasks that are required, has an interest in the skill areas, has a high tolerance for the work environment, and enjoys the type of interpersonal interactions required for the position
Therefore, the applicant who is both eligible AND suitable is far more likely to sustain successful employment for the long term.
Dr. Daniel Harrison has studied human behavior for twenty five years. Since 1987 he has specifically been researching the area of suitability, and developing technology tools to assist companies in identifying the most suitable candidates.
According to Dr. Harrison, developer of the Harrison Assessment, a software based assessment profile, the psychological principle behind suitability is quite simple and correlates with basic behavioral theory.
“If we like doing certain things, we tend to do them more often. When we do a particular thing more often, we tend to get better at it, which in turn reinforces the feeling that we like doing that particular thing. Conversely, if an employee is in a position they dislike, then they are likely to fall into the category of someone who ‘doesn’t live up to their potential.’
From the suitability point of view, each person has natural preferences related to different tasks, work environments, human interactions, and interests.
When those natural preferences mostly correspond with a position, the person is far more likely to perform at his or her best level.
This principle applies to all jobs including senior management, secretaries, sales representatives, and trainees.
Since suitability is extremely complex, it is recommended that organizations consider a comprehensive computerized methodology as part of the selection process.
This allows the hiring entity to set specific suitability criteria for a particular position, and then assess candidates against those criteria.
Unfortunately, those who are responsible for the interview and selection are generally not as well trained as they could be. In addition, interviewing is a subjective process which is influenced by the personalities and emotions of those involved in the process.
Some studies have shown that many hiring decisions are actually made in the first five minutes of the interview.
While today’s assessments are not meant to be a substitute for personal interviewing, they can help to objectify the process by evaluating candidates in an “apples to apples” fashion.
Some of the critical but otherwise hard to determine characteristics that can be measured by contemporary software assessments include: initiative, planning ability, risk taking, flexibility, tolerance of structure, diplomacy, organized, precise, systematic, autonomy, persistence, management style and interpersonal skills.
