I was talking to the CEO of a management consulting firm the other day and was surprised to hear him say that he doesn’t require new consultants to have – or plan on getting – an MBA. He feels that it’s more important that recruits are able to work effectively on the teams he’s put in place.
And he's not alone.
According to new research by Right Management, the talent and career management arm of Manpower, organizations prefer to hire employees who are a good motivational fit with the team and the organization’s culture. During the first quarter of 2010, Right Management surveyed more than 800 senior human resource professionals and other business leaders throughout North America to learn what contributes most to accelerated performance. The results?
- Organizational culture/motivational fit: 31%
- Interpersonal behaviors: 26%
- Critical reasoning/judgment: 21%
- Technical skills: 12%
- Relevant experience: 11%
“Immediate, on-the-job performance is so essential these days,” said Michael Haid, Senior Vice President of Global Solutions at Right Management. “New hires need to get up to speed fast and make a smooth transition into the new environment.”
Greatness is subjective, not objective.
Even so, these findings were amazing to me. The data proves that you could be the most qualified employee with the most impressive resume in the world, but if you’re unable to get along with your co-workers and perform well under pressure and in a way that the organization considers meaningful, it won’t matter.
Your first priority: reputation management.
If you want to assure your managers of your potential, you shouldn’t stop doing good work and mastering new skills. But you should also place an emphasis on developing deep and positive relationships and looking for opportunities to show that your values are aligned with those of your organization. Actively manage your reputation and don’t shy away from challenges, since apparently, the mere act of using good judgment to address a problem may be more impactful than the result.
This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.
"I could do that job in my sleep" was one of the comments on a post I wrote. The person missed the fact that there are 3 questions that need answering in an interview: can you do the job, are you motivated by the work, and how will you fit in with the team?
By the time you get to the hiring manager, job skills are practically a given. You need to prove the rest, whether you can do the job in your sleep or not...
Posted by: Scot Herrick | August 31, 2010 at 04:26 PM
I agree with that. Even if your the best employee but if you can't work with a team, it is useless.
Posted by: Bill | August 31, 2010 at 08:59 PM
I agree, I definitely look for the company, office & department culture when I was looking for a job. I'm not referring to the 'company culture' on their site, that's what the copywriter or HR carefully crafted for the company. Usually I can spot it by the interpersonal behavior in the office when I walk through the hallways going to the interview.
How my coworkers behavior would somewhat impact how I would act at work & how I feel at work & after-work.
Honestly, experience & skills can be gain in the job, but behaviour & habits can't change that easily. (if at all)
Posted by: Ian Tang | September 05, 2010 at 10:56 PM
Interesting post, but I think there needs to be more distinction between what one needs to get the job versus what one needs to excel at it. I am currently searching for a job, and I am finding that employers will not even consider applicants below a certain education and experience threshold. Unfortunately, there is no easy or succinct way to put one's "organizational culture/motivational fit" or "interpersonal behaviors" into a one- or two-page resume.
Posted by: Carrie | September 08, 2010 at 03:12 AM
The problem like anything else is that all this motivational stuff doesn't matter until you get the chance to have the job in the first place. Once you get the job then you can prove it. Until then, one is at the mercy of the employer. Employers so think that experience is all that matters most of the time and their so wrong. Experience is so overrated. One can do the job even if one doesn't have experience. The person would learn what he or she needs to on the job like everyone else. If nobody learned on the job, then how did everyone else gain the experience? exactly.
Posted by: billy bob | September 17, 2010 at 05:05 PM
@Billy: Being at the mercy of the employer is exactly why you have to make sure they like you!
@Carrie: Agreed. I'm interpreting the study to mean that interpersonal behavior in an interview situation will hold more weight than on paper creds.
@Ian: Great point! It is JUST as important for the prospective employee to evaluate the culture of the organization. It's a two way street.
@Bill: Thanks for your comment!
@Scot: Great to see you, my friend! And I personally wouldn't want an employee on autopilot, would you?
Posted by: Alexandra Levit | September 22, 2010 at 06:11 PM
I agree with this article
If you can not work with the team so it's no use
Thank you for this information
Posted by: John Papers | October 01, 2010 at 07:06 AM