Hiring errors common: poll

Finding the right fit is hard for HR and jobseekers

The mantra among recruiters is to hire for fit. However, this is easier said than done according to a recent poll.

More than half (59 per cent) of the 400 HR managers surveyed in Canada and the United States admitted to misjudging someone's fit for a role, according to the poll by staffing firm OfficeTeam.

The survey found that Canadian and American jobseekers also make errors in judgement. Nearly half (46 per cent) of the 300 administrative professionals surveyed said they have misread the work environment and taken a job that wasn't a good fit.

A bad fit is bad for the company. The overwhelming majority of HR managers (89 per cent) said their company lost an employee because she was not suited to the firm's environment.

Both HR and the jobseeker need to use the initial interview to assess the appropriateness of the fit, said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam.

"The interview is a two-way street," she said. "Employers are looking for clues to an applicant's work ethic and personality, and jobseekers want to learn more about the company culture."

To help hiring managers make the right match, OfficeTeam suggests asking the following questions during the interview:

• What type of work environment brings out your best performance?

• What type of work environment are you least likely to thrive in?

• What did you like best/least about your last job and why?

• Considering your greatest accomplishments in previous roles, what were the factors that allowed you to be successful?

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