Recruiting – The Importance of getting the right fit.

Recently one of our accountants took a client for a quick bite to eat, to celebrate a significant milestone in his business.

They were chatting about decisions he’d like to have over, if somehow he could magically rewind the clock.

“There wouldn’t be many,” he admitted. “Other than a couple of staffing issues. I think sometimes we underestimate in business, just how costly it can be, employing the wrong people.”

Our client made a really good point.

Poor people choices extend well beyond the cost of recruitment fees – and the recruitment fees you often have to pay again to replace them!

Without even calculating the heartache, there’s the time factor – the investment in training –  that’s lost when they resign or are asked to leave. There’s the opportunity cost of having to start over (including more interviews!) when they eventually leave. In extreme cases, there can even be damage to the morale of other staff.

In business we are not always going to get our people choices right, but what I say to all my clients – don’t just focus on skills and experience – take into account organisational fit.

How will this person blend in? Imagine them in the lunchroom. In meetings with some of the bigger personalities in the business. How do you think they will contribute to the culture of the business?

It’s often been said, you can teach job skills, teaching character or altering a value set is much harder.

This blog post was written by Troy Schoenfisch, Assistant Practice Manager.