Adjusting your recruitment strategies: How to fit a square peg into a round hole

Can recruitment strategies change with the job market? Is it always necessary to find just the right person for a job—or can a square peg be reshaped to fit into a round hole?

Currently, with record low unemployment, hiring managers might need to consider candidates who are short on desired skills but are a good company fit. On-the-job training can often fill the gap. But what else can help to ensure success?

Kate and Rob: A study in recruitment strategies and outcomes

Kate and Rob started the same day in customer service positions. Neither had the related experience the hiring manager had in mind. But they appeared eager to learn new skills. At the end of a six-month probation, Kate had enjoyed her customer interactions and was respected by team members. She was a shoo-in for a permanent job. But Rob struggled to address customers’ concerns adequately, and he didn’t manage staff well. He and his employer both realized he was in an ill-fitting role and agreed to part ways.

Neither Kate nor Rob were ideally experienced for their jobs. So, why did Kate succeed in her new position, while Rob didn’t last?

Kate thrived because her personality was well suited for it. Rob’s, however, was not a good fit. While neither had the desired experience in customer service, Kate had the qualities to adjust well to her new duties and even enjoyed them, while Rob didn’t. His personality simply didn’t jell with his duties.

Assessing candidates for compatibility, and adjusting expectations as needed

So don’t overlook how a candidate’s personality can affect your recruitment strategies. This can be even more important when a person’s qualifications are merely adequate. Professional personality assessments can help identify candidates’ compatibility for a position and increase the chances they will succeed.

When filling a position, ask yourself, “What skills and experience are required?” Then ask, “What else would be nice to have?” The “what else” might be additional skills, but it could be certain personality traits. Don’t underestimate their importance in a successful hire.

Another area where candidates might not perfectly fit an available job is work scheduling. This is the case with some part-time employees, who may have other jobs or limited availability. You might have to accommodate their schedule rather than demand they fit into yours (though, admittedly, the nature of some jobs would not allow this).

Recruiters can assess for skills and also personality and compatibility

At TriStarr, we use a precise, six-step candidate evaluation process to find the best employees who also would be the right fit for your business. We assess for skills and knowledge, but also for personality and compatibility. That’s why we have such a high placement success rate and why, ultimately, our clients save time and money by using us as their recruiter.

We use recruitment strategies crafted from decades of experience to find candidates who are a great fit nearly every time. And our recruiting agency stands by our Good People Guarantee. If a client isn’t pleased with a new recruit, we will replace the person with another candidate at no cost or provide a refund.

If you would like help with finding the right candidates in a tough recruitment market, contact us online or call us at (717) 560-2111. TriStarr is a staffing and recruiting agency and HR consulting firm in Lancaster, Pa., also serving York, Harrisburg, Hershey and Reading.