Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

We are always looking for the perfect fit. We try on clothes before we buy them because clothes that fit look better. We pay to get rings resized in the name of the perfect fit. We even look for fit in our relationships; most of us like to build relationships with people who are compatible with us in some way. Since we take such care to find the perfect fit in many parts of our lives, shouldn’t we take the same approach in hiring to make sure candidates fit open positions?

If you are a parent or a pet owner then you know that when your child or pet misbehaves, you have to act immediately or the corrective action is pointless. You cannot wait a day, a month, or a year to address a problem; by then the child or pet has completely forgotten what they did that was wrong.

Organizations with a philosophy of matching people to jobs can get a leg-up on their competition. Having followed 360,000 people through their careers during a period of 20 years, a major study published by Harvard Business Review demonstrated that a key ingredient in retaining people is ensuring that they are matched to their jobs in terms of their abilities, interests, and personalities.

Making the Case for Job Fit