April - June 2012
Getting the job isn’t just about what you can do – it’s as much about how you do it
Cultural fit has become so important to hiring managers that it now often rates above a 100 per cent match to the necessary technical skills, says recruiting experts Hays.
According to the latest Hays Quarterly Report, released today, employers are not alone in their desire for a good cultural fit. Candidates too are looking for a company that provides the right fit, and often rank this above the salary on offer.
Nick Deligiannis, Director of Hays, says: “We’ve seen several cases of candidates turning down job offers because they didn’t feel the company culture reflected their long-term career goals.
“Employers meanwhile are also considering not only a candidate’s technical skills but their cultural and team fit. We have seen many cases where an employer will train a candidate in the necessary technical skills if they are otherwise the right cultural fit for the business. This trend is occurring across both the private and public sectors and for candidates from accountancy to human resources and office support.
“The focus on cultural fit is to ensure a new recruit will integrate into the existing team, has an intrinsic understanding of the way the business operates and is more likely to be retained long-term. There is a belief that technical skills can be taught, but cultural fit cannot.
“Considering the demand for skilled professionals in many industries it is vital for employers to get cultural fit right to ensure business continuity and productivity is maintained. It’s also encouraging to see cultural fit acknowledged as strategically important.”