“If you get the right mix of people working for your company, it would have a far greater chance of success” – Richard Branson
Sometimes, the traditional recruitment process produces a highly skilled individual that seemed to be perfect for a role, but upon resumption was discovered to be unfit for the job. Frequent conflicts with team members or evident cultural mismatch make these individuals become more of a liability than an asset.
How does this happen? When recruiting, it is essential to note that you are recruiting a human being with both their skill set and personality. It is impossible to hire one without the other, as they are not mutually exclusive. Most times, a lot of emphases is put on the skill set and little or no focus on the personality. Most organizations only analyze the skill set they need and pay little or no attention to the character of the candidates they are assessing to hire.
In a recent survey of professionals across various industries, 78% of the respondents selected personality as the most desirable quality in a worker. Employers rated initial skill set as the least important quality. These findings call for employers to focus on personality in the recruitment process as employees can gain new skills, but personality rarely changes.
Recruiting the most suitable candidate for a role requires employers to be more thorough, innovative, and holistic in their approach to recruitment. Focus on the skill set is as important as the personality. Working in an organization entails working within an organizational culture, working with people, and working with a team with a blend of skills and personalities. When hiring, we hire not only the set of desired skills but also the nature of the individual.
Recruiting the best fit for an organization requires two (2) important steps:
- Identifying the personality mix, skill mix, personality need, skill need, and culture of the organization.
- Recruiting the individual with the best skill and personality fit that aligns with the role.
Just like a soccer team consists of the goalkeeper, striker, defender, and midfielder, a work team requires individuals with a mix of personalities and skills. An organization needs people who pay attention to details, individuals who love challenges, and cautious individuals who thoroughly assess opportunities before making decisions.
Both skill and personality are essential to the success of employees in an organization; the most productive companies recruit for both.
Written by:
Deborah Ariyo
Analyst
