Can we afford to hire the wrong person?

Does a company needs to hire the best employees in the labour market or does it need to hire the correct fit to the company? Many would be quick to say both – yet down the line dissatisfaction creeps in and one finds less satisfied employees.

Companies around the world use many scientific tools of DISC, 16 PF and other psychometric evaluation methods and assessment centres to gauge the candidate at the time of recruiting or at least at the time of permanency.

Many of these tools have a lot to offer a keen professional who is willing to sit with the candidate and question the evidence in order of circumstances. In a world where 1,800 applications are received for five positions as management trainees, how frequently do we have a proper method in curbing it down to a short list of 50 applicants?

Obviously we will choose the best of the lot. Thus, the choice of the five is out of the best 50 applicants. Those who stand out are those who have all the right leadership skills. Why then does one have most of the management trainees leave within the first year or two?

The correct fit

In an informal study, conducted by a few HR specialists, we uncovered that many of the larger organisations in Sri Lanka had a success rate that was below 50% of retaining their high powered management trainees. As such, finding the correct fit from both ends of the thinking process is paramount.

On another continuum are we the right fit for the candidate? From disparities of the Generations, e.g. ‘X-Gen – 1960-1982’ and ‘Y-Gen – 1982-1999’ and ‘Z-Gen – 2000+’. Many Y and Z generations today are undecided candidates who are searching for a temporary stepping stone to their future. They are people who are highly educated and qualified in many fields of endeavour – a ‘Jack of all trades’ and master of a few. Being versatile, their needs are short term and they care for the worldly aspects of life.

Then one has the issue of finding the right talent at the right price. There are times we can’t find one candidate worthy of the position. Don’t settle for less as it catches up with you later down the line. Hire and train – check during the probationary period for sharp improvements. Some critics may say the company is not a training ground. I agree, but the best companies in the world are.

Therefore, this article would like to focus on some tips that would help to gauge the personalities of people, the learning of which might add to the understanding of behavioural aspects of people when hiring.

While certain personalities would suit certain organisations for certain roles, it may prove to be detrimental in others. A creative thinker who’s always innovating is gold for an advertising company, but might prove to be less productive for a system driven assembly line of a cement plant.

Intelligence is valuable, yet when you hire an assistant with a degree to a company where the manager doesn’t have one, it can prove to build up conflict. Both these examples can be questioned and argued vigorously.

Let’s analyse a few types of people to understand their behaviour – this is in a bid not to enclave them within a model but to permeate the HR team to get a better appreciation of personalities at hiring and managing people.

First type of personality – ‘Idea Bug’

They are creative innovators and inventers. They let their imagination run with the flow and come up with many ideas, of which some that wouldn’t work. They are independent, clever and original. They may not actually finish what they have started, yet keep coming up with more ideas and innovative ways of doing things. Companies can use their talents to find a solution for a complex problem or come up with a radical new way of thinking.

Second type of personality – ‘Connectors’

This is a personality that ‘knows everyone or knows someone who knows someone’. They are extrovert personalities who have developed many contacts down the road. They are well-connected and once you meet them, you are their best friend.

They sometimes start the conversation by exchanging their business card or need to know people you know. They find a connection. They work on deals and favours. They are natural negotiators and are good and picking on others’ ideas and developing on them. They have the ability to think on their feet and probe others for information.

Third type of personality – ‘The Conductor’

They are harmonisers. They are people who are mature, confident and move towards a shared goals. ‘Consultation with control’ being their motto, they manage problems calmly. They may not be the smartest, but are respected for their way in which they mange people, meetings and situations.

Fourth type of personality – ‘The Bulldozer’

This personality is like a ‘bull in a china shop,’ but one who makes things happen. While achievement is always at a cost, these bulldozers really care. They are more worried about the end result than the path. They are prone to provocation and are very dynamic. They are highly motivated and have a great need to prove to the world they are the ‘king of the jungle’. They are thick skinned and controversial. They work best under pressure.

Fifth type of personality – ‘Strategic Eye’

They are serious minded, prudent individuals that take time to evaluate the pros and cons before they utter. They are very analytical and can paralyse a lot of enthusiasm in the way they present it. Some have been known to be misunderstood as over critical or not providing the enthusiasm as they are about to start something new. Yet, they are seldom wrong.

Sixth type of personality – ‘Hard Worker’

This is the type of personality who follows through and pays attention to detail. They would not start anything they can’t finish. Typically they are introverted and do not prefer to delegate their work. They set high standards and achieve them diligently. They have a high concern for precision and detail.

While we would love to have all the personality types in one person, trying to look for it hampers the interview process. Question the candidates with specific area and get the applicant to talk about their lives with specifics. Try to catch on to the emotional cues and match/fit that against the current job role and that of the future.

In the whole process it is important to identify the type of personality needed for the job, and then find the right personality for it. While hiring the best is important, getting the right type of person for the right type of job would do the company and the job holder a valuable service.

(The writer – B.Bus (Mgt) (HRM), MBA, MAHRP, NLP Master Practitioner, BELBIN – is Past President of HRP.)