As someone who has been involved in full life cycle recruiting for over 20 years, I have seen my fair share of bad placements and underperforming hires. I have come to realize that while many staffing companies focus on two legs of the recruiting stool – whether a candidate is qualified for the job and if they fit the company’s culture – there is a third leg that is often overlooked. This third leg is whether a candidate’s natural strengths align with the job they are being hired for.

I have seen many cases where a candidate appears perfect on paper and fits well with the company’s culture, but they still fail or underperform in their role. For instance, let me introduce you to Tom, a 10-year accountant with a CPA and Masters in Accountancy. Tom was highly qualified for the job and fit in well with the company’s culture, but he quit within a year. It turned out that Tom’s strengths aligned with everything but RISK (9). He loved taking risks and was always trying to convince clients to create offshore accounts to save money. While most clients declined, this did not deter Tom, making his job a grind and draining his energy. Tom eventually blamed the company and left.

Tom’s case is not unique, and many of us have encountered similar situations. However, few talent acquisition companies can determine if a person SHOULD be doing the job. This is where using scientific assessments such as Kolbe™ can make a significant difference. Kolbe™ assessments help identify a candidate’s natural strengths and whether they align with the job they are being hired for. This ensures that not only can a person do the job, but they should be doing the job.

The importance of identifying a candidate’s natural strengths is supported by several case studies. For example, NASA used Kolbe™ assessments to identify the natural strengths of astronauts to ensure that they are a good fit for the unique challenges of space travel. Verizon also used the Kolbe™ assessment to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their sales teams, resulting in a significant increase in sales. Hershey’s used Kolbe™ assessments to identify the natural strengths of their employees, resulting in improved productivity and a more positive work environment.

In addition to these case studies, there is also data to support the idea that aligning employees with their natural strengths can lead to improved performance and productivity. For example, a Gallup study found that employees who use their strengths on the job are more engaged and less likely to leave their company. The study also found that companies that focus on employee strengths have higher levels of productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

In conclusion, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for many years, I believe that companies that focus on aligning employees with their natural strengths are likely to see significant benefits in terms of profitability and customer satisfaction. Utilizing scientific assessments such as Kolbe™ can help identify the right talent and draw the best out of your teams.

So, let us put the third leg on that recruiting stool and ensure that we have the best talent doing the right job!

Learn more about leveraging the science of hiring to build effective teams that last.

#TechRecruiting #TalentAcquisition #Hiring #Recruitment #HR #JobSearch #LinkedIn #Employment #Staffing #EmployerBranding #JobPosting #HumanResources #EmploymentOpportunities #Resume #CareerDevelopment #JobOpening #HiringNow #JobInterview #Workforce #RecruitingSolutions #job #recruiting #culture #staffing #talentacquisition #kolbe #talent #humancapital #humancentric #job #recruiting #culture #staffing #talentacquisition #kolbe #talent #humancapital #humancentric