Atlanta Business Consulting | Rigidness As Part Of The Culture ...

I read a very interesting blog post from Peter Saddington over at his company, Action & Influence. It had to do with hiring practices and company culture and what stood out was a quote from CEO?s who faced hiring challenges:

One in three CEO?s say that not evaluating cultural fit was one of the biggest reasons for hiring mistakes.

Peter writes further:

This repeated offense, especially for the larger companies, will end up costing millions of dollars to these larger institutions. Even if you weren?t a large biz the cost is still there for you as well.

I?ve thought about this as I seek out some contracting opportunities. What I am seeing many times are companies that are looking for a candidate that has the perfect resume. Granted, in this market, with unemployment over 8%, and many candidates, company?s can choose to be more selective in who they hire. Chances are, the guy or gal that has a skill set and education that could earn them six figures in better times, are willing to take the $50,000 a year job just to make ends meet. Employers know this and tailor their job openings to that.

But does it work? Is the person, used to being at senior level going to mesh well in your organization at a mid-manager level? That depends. Some people will have no issues with and fit right into the position while others will work with a mindset of resentment for the position they are in, which will lead to issues. I have personally witnessed this before on both sides. The question is whether or not companies are looking for that, or if they?re just sticking to the ?requirement? mantra.

One thing I have noticed with several opportunities is the absolute requirement of a bachelors degree. Not a requirement of a degree in the particular field the job is for, but in any field. As somebody that has to rely on my experience to land these contracts (I do not have a bachelors degree), I find this requirement quite odd. Have you ever seen the film, ?She?s Having A Baby?? It?s a John Hughes film, and the character of Jake Briggs (Kevin Bacon) is having trouble finding work. He is asked about college by his wife Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern):

Kristy: What was your major?

Jake: Romance languages

Kristy: What was your minor?

Jake: Elizabethan poetry.

But if Jake had 2-3 years of experience in a technical related field, he?d shoot to the top of the list over a person with 10-15 years of experience and no degree.

Don?t get me wrong. It is hard to understate the value of a college degree and education and it is one of the greater regrets I have in life. Jason Fried, founder of 37Signals said the following in an interview:

Education is important, but I don?t equate college with education. Education can come from anywhere. The best education is experience. I think college interferes with your education ? at least it did with mine. I couldn?t wait to get out so I could get to work. Learning by doing is the only real learning.

That said, I?m glad my surgeon has a degree.

Very true.

Some people I have spoken to believe the trend is moving more towards the type of environment where culture and experience are more important than a rigid set of requirements to match against an incoming resume, but I still think we have a long way to go before we get to where that is the everyday process.

Thoughts?

About Jay Caruso

I am a photographer and businessman living in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I can help with your company branding through the use of photography as well as SEO, social media marketing and business consulting.

Source: http://www.twelvestonescreative.com/rigidness-culture/

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