The concept of hiring for fit is the latest challenge to a diverse workforce. The connotation of fit is often misconstrued to mean clones of the existing employees. If an all white, male, Gen-Y appearance is considered to be the norm the business is doomed. A contrived culture of young, attractive, and energetic employees is equally flawed and may even be illegal. Someday this thing we call affirmative action, a remnant of the civil rights era, will die a natural death. This will probably not happen anytime soon. Enforcement of diversity has become institutionalized and punitive in nature to the point that often the easiest way toward compliance is to expend the least possible effort to keep out of trouble. Lip service apparently counts as compliance until someone gets caught violating one of the made-up rules that governments use to make people behave as they should. The best model for any company is a diverse workforce and that means hiring candidates that fit a universally diverse model.
Diversity means so much more than stereotypical generational myths and government imposed gender and racial guidelines. True diversity will be voluntary and not forced. It is exemplified by a workforce that chooses to embrace different types of people that stand for different things, represent different cultures, respect different generations, consider different ideas, and stimulate different thinking. It is impossible for this to happen without enlightened management operating with a passion to plan and build a truly diverse workplace. After determining the target goals for the group and analyzing the existing workforce to discover immediate needs, the process of adding diverse elements to the mix begins.
Hiring for a diverse fit depends on multiple characteristics that can be remembered by the Five C’s:
- Congruous – A primary consideration of building the diverse workforce is to select and hire candidates that will be harmonious with the existing body of employees. The personality types may be totally non-congruous if the mindset is one of discussion without dissention. Celebrating differences and considering all opinions contributes to harmony.
- Complementary –New employees added to the mix need to be selected for their ability to fill gaps in current knowledge or skills. They join in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the best attributes of others. There is also the added value of bringing experiences to share that will raise the standards of the organization as a whole.
- Continual – Sometimes being a self starter is not enough to see a goal become reality. Motivation to drive around obstacles at a steady pace and solve the problems of interrupted progress. A team is motivated by the actions of their peers more than the directions of those giving the marching orders.
- Catalytic – In chemistry a catalyst is an agent that causes two otherwise dormant substances to react to form a new substance. In the workplace the sparkplug idea person will draw from the group and magnify their output. The sum of their combined efforts is greater than the sum of the individual efforts.
- Cathartic – Sometimes new blood in an organization can introduce a cleansing effect on deadwood and revitalize their efforts. When the underlying causes of problems is identified and attacked, there is an overall emotional high that promotes teamwork, morale, and a sense of pride in accomplishment.
There is no mention of traditional diversity in considering intellectual diversity to augment a team, but it should be obvious that race, gender, nationality, age, religious, and sexual orientation all bring differing outlooks that fit in with the Five C’s. Hiring for traditional diversity alone will not guarantee a diverse organization and will only install temporary measures to the detriment of the organization. Clones need not apply.
- Part 1 – Hiring for Fit – Send In the Clones
- Part 2 – Hiring for Fit – Finding the Pattern to Match
- Part 3 – Hiring for Fit – Find and Hire Culture Matches
- Part 4 – Hiring for Fit – Remember Diversity Matters (This Article)
- Part 5 – Hiring for Fit – Mismatch Insurance
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