People put in a lot of research, effort and care into the search for a home because this is where they are going to spend roughly two-thirds of their lives. Then why is it so radically different from the way they find workplaces, where they are going to spend the other third?
When people are shopping for houses, they consider numerous variables like the neighbourhood, whether it’s a metropolitan area or far from the city, access to public transport, the number of rooms in the house, the price and so much more.
But when they are choosing a job, they are just given a list of responsibilities they are required to carry out daily and the expectations the company has from them in terms of education and experience. Very rarely are they given exposure to what sort of a culture exists within that company in order to determine if they would be an ideal fit in that environment. An interview, office tour or even an orientation programme are not sufficient to give an employee an actual representation of what the company believes in, what they stand for or how they run a business from a cultural standpoint.
This is why it is so important to have a good job fit between the employer and employee. Job fit is a concept that explains whether the intersection between an employee’s strengths, needs and experience, and the requirements of a particular job and work environment—match—or not. When the two interests match, an employee and the organisation experience a good job fit.
Here are some factors that affect the job fit and their importance to both, the employer and the candidate. Let us break it down for you.
Productivity
Finding the right fit is a significant factor that determines how employees will thrive in their jobs. Without the right job fit, an employee will never experience the satisfaction, contentment and success he/she deserves at work.
Do employers need to be concerned about this?
Hell yeah! If the employee is not happy with his/her role, they will never achieve their true potential. Employers need to be as concerned about job fit as cultural fit. Otherwise, they will never utilise the potential contributions of their current and future employees. This will indirectly reflect as a cost in their books.
Cultural Fit
This is the organisation’s culture. The employers need to determine if the candidate will work well within their company’s environment, and vice versa. Does the organisation’s culture match what the individual needs to be successful in a particular work environment?
This is important to consider because a disruption to the company culture can be detrimental to the organisation. On the other hand, if the employee’s needs do not align with the company’s culture, he/she may not be able to achieve their personal goals or contribute to the company’s success.
Values, Beliefs, and Outlook
This works both ways. In order to succeed in a job, the candidate must share the prevailing values, of his colleagues and customers. Employees who fail to fit within the environment generally leave to find an alternative work environment or culture which is more congruent with their own values and beliefs.
Similarly, employees are becoming more concerned about the company’s values and whether they will align with their own. The whole work style has changed drastically with individuals questioning if the company is creating products they care about? Are they making a positive impact? These things have become much more important than they were a generation ago.
Job Content
Apart from the most basic need for a competent salary, employees have other needs too. These include factors such as notoriety, recognition, leadership, collegiality, challenge and job satisfaction. Questions such as: does the employee get to do what they love, utilise their strengths and does the work fulfill their needs and align with their personal values, are important in identifying this.
Similarly, if all these are satisfactory, the employer concurrently reaps the benefits of a motivated, skilled and resolute workforce.
Education and Training
It is always cost effective for the employer to find a qualified candidate with the right education and training for the job than dedicate a full-time resource to training a new employee.
We often see that employers pay attention to the skills and experience that a potential employee brings to the table. However, very few employers actively assess whether the candidate will fit well into the culture of the organisation; while even fewer look at the total picture and assess the candidate’s job fit.
Thus, it is important to give an avenue for job seekers very early in the search process to be able to find out the important information, so they can align their personal and their work style with the company they’re going to work with; benefitting themselves and the company.