Fit or misfit?

More often than not when employees leave a new employer within the first six months the issue is around misalignment because they have realised that either they were not the right fit for the company, or the company was not the right fit for them. How an employee ‘fits’ into their new environment will ultimately determine the success that employee will have in the company. So, what are the questions to ask your future employer to determine if the company will be the right fit for you?

By Thembile Cele, HR Specialist

A ‘fit’ can relate to the shared values, common attributes or characteristics that are found within an organisation. In HR speak we are talking about the company’s culture, which underpins the relationships within an organisation. You will see it in the way that people interact with one another, the values they hold and how they make decisions.

A company’s culture can be intentionally created or it can be result from decision-making processes over time. Either way it sets the tone in an organisation.

In a company where the employees fit into the culture of the company; employees are most likely to enjoy their work because their values match with the company values and they will build better relationships with colleagues and will be more productive. Having the right ‘fit’ is just as important for employers because the cost of recruiting the right individuals and the cost of attracting the right individuals is often very high – the clearer they are in their processes in identifying the right individuals who fit into the culture are most likely to stay longer in an organisation which reduces employee turnover and eliminates the associated costs of training new hires.

With rising unemployment rates and rising operating costs it is very easy to just recruit any person that fits the specification on paper. Similarly for job seekers who are competing for limited job

What words would you use to describe the culture here?

You want such words as ‘friendly, open, encourages communication, team-orientated’. A red flag is when you are told ‘it’s tough, challenging, only the strong survive’. My follow up question would be why is that the case? I remember asking a potential employer why on their BBBEE scorecard they only reported on five female employees forming their junior to senior management. Beyond being told it’s a tough environment, I was told it’s not a suitable place for women. As a woman, I knew I was not the suitable candidate for them.

What is the most surprising adjustment I would have to

make in order to fit into the company? This will tell you

the company’s onboarding processes, how employees are treated when they start with the business, and is there a support structure or is it a sink or swim situation. Red flags include if you are told its challenging to start and it will take you a year or years to settle in, or the environment is not for everybody. Nine out of 10 employers know the challenges that employees deal with in their organisation. You want to get a sense of what those challenges are.

How do the managers motivate their team if they have

failed to achieve any targets? How your future employer

answers this question will tell you a lot on the learning culture or lack thereof. For example, if they tell you that failures are not tolerated or discussed then you know that it's either you deliver or you are out. Yes, meeting targets is important however how an organisation addresses a deviation will tell you a lot about the management style or how disciplined they are.

Can you describe what is “conflict” referred to in the organisation and how is it handled? How an organisation

opportunities, it would be very easy for them to rush to secure the opportunity because they have been unemployed for so long and they are wanting to no longer be part of that +-34% South African individuals who are currently unemployed.

Taking the time to conduct research on the company that is inviting you for an interview will save you a lot of time in deciding whether they would be suitable for you or not.

At the interviewing stage this is the best time to ask probing questions to save yourself that angst of having to explain that ‘Oops!’ period on your CV. As a recruiter and someone who has sat across future employers the following have been my favorite list of questions that either I have used or have been asked of me as an HR professional, which tells you a lot about the culture of your future employer.

resolves issues between employees or teams will tell you a lot about how managers engage with their staff and whether openness is encouraged or not. In the same way they will ask you to ‘Tell us about a situation’, you can do the same.

How are decisions made? Here you will get a sense of the company structure, who are the decision-makers, and what is the psychological company structure when it comes to making a decision. As a junior employee, am I encouraged to think independently or am I micromanaged?

As a line manager; how do you manage your people? You will

learn a lot about team dynamics from how the recruiting manager relates to the team. Is independence encouraged or must all decisions taken be approved by the manager? If for instance you like to solve problems independently prior to involving your senior, in an environment where such decision-making is discouraged you will be frustrated.

The above list is not in any way exhaustive but it should spark interesting discussions with your future employer which would also give them a sense of who you are as an individual.