If a professional organization exists to do a specific job or task, it usually means that job is more difficult than it appears. It isn’t impossible for a novice to do, but to get consistent quality results, you really need a pro.
I developed this theory based on numerous home improvement projects. Did it take us longer? Yes. Did it end up costing more? Yes. Does it look OK? That is exactly how it looks! It’s only recently that I’ve applied this theory to work, and more specifically, to hiring. I am good at a lot of things, but historically speaking, hiring has not been one of them. In 25 years, I have probably hired as many right people, as wrong.
My issue was that I was always trying to source technical people or technically adjacent people, so my main hiring criteria was how closely they aligned with whatever specialty I needed. Sometimes it worked out, but often it didn’t, and it kept me stuck in an external blame game of no “good” candidates, or the competition, or no one wants to work. It never occurred to me that I was looking for the wrong people, and it was pure luck when I found the right ones. When a degree, technical expertise or a certain certification is necessary for a job, it makes sense that you would look for those technical, degreed people. So, how could they still be wrong if they are exactly what I need?
The fact is that every hiring decision is a cultural fit test, even technical and degreed hires. This is something every great, professional recruiter knows. And the smaller the organization, the more important and impactful this truth becomes. Therein lies the quandary for a small business. Hiring a move-in ready person and favoring that attribute over everything else often feels necessary because we don’t have the time, budget or staff to train and onboard like big companies do. Favoring a technical resume over a cultural fit resume with aptitude, feels like a necessary short cut. Yo don’t have the budget for extensive training or to support a certifying process, so hiring for skills over everything becomes the solution for the investments you feel you can’t afford to make.
The result is luck. Maybe you’ll be fortunate that this highly skilled person is pleasant to be around, shares your work ethic and follows directions. Or perhaps this highly skilled person thinks they know everything, is slow to get things done, won’t own mistakes and takes criticism poorly. Personally, I have had both, always starting out hopeful that this time, I found “the one.’”
While personality and cultural fit aren’t everything, they are almost everything. If the most skilled, brilliant person in the world has an insufferable personality and is toxic in your workplace, are you winning? Are you making more money? Are you happier? No, no and no. Even if there is a skillset or experience that is absolutely required for your hire, the decision must rely on who they are as a person. And there are three essential questions: Are they teachable and coachable? Are they likeable? Can they adapt and grow?
If your business can afford it, there are professional tools, assessments and services that can identify people that fit into your environment and role. It’s one of those jobs in which amateurs can’t duplicate what professionals do consistently. But no matter what your approach to hiring, remember it’s the person you’re hiring, not the skill or degree, so look for one you like.
Jennifer Ake-Marriott is President & CEO of Redmond Waltz – an industrial repair company in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood.
