If you’ve ever been in the right job…

you know how it makes you feel: time flies at work, you enjoy the relationships you have with your co-workers, you are proud to talk about your work with friends or family, and you look forward to Monday’s! But most importantly, you know the right fitting job is more than just job responsibilities and a paycheck.

If you’re an employee, taking the time to find a job that is that “just right fit” for you means you’ll not only love what you do, but you’ll be very good at it with increases in pay and job responsibilities going hand in hand. You’ll tend to be one of those “long termers” – avoiding the hassle of looking for “something better” every one or two years. You know that “something better” is within your current job and company! 

Our “fit finder” process tackles 4 components of  “fit”. In this blog, we’ve defined each component of fit & provided helpful questions to ask yourself to determine your needs and wants that will help you find the right fitting job. Say goodbye to job searching and taking jobs based on feelings and hopes – facts and fit will give you confidence in your employment decision! 

Job Content

The job content “fit” is between what an employee loves doing, what they are good at, and what their job allows them to do on a daily basis! We believe this is the most important component of “fit”.  Finding “job content fit” is all about understanding what skills, knowledge or experience it takes to do the job well, and matching those key requirements up with what you love doing and do well!

To determine what type of  job is the right fit for you in terms of job content, ask yourself these questions:

• Does the work require you to be analytical and detailed? Or less focused on precision?
• Is the work repetitious, metrics-driven and outcomes objectively measured? If so, have you worked & thrived in similar environments previously?
• Is this job governed by tight deadlines or will you be able to set your own pace?
• Do you prefer jobs where supervisors are readily available or do you thrive in jobs where you are more self managed? 

Beliefs, Values, & Mission

The “fit” between what an employee values most about what they do at work (or how they want to contribute to the world) and what their employer does for a living – the products or services they make or deliver – can be a deal breaker when it comes to “fit.” When what you, as an employee, sees as important or valuable lines up with what a company produces or how it behaves, there is a “fit.”

To determine what type of  job is the right fit for you in terms of your beliefs, values and mission, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have very strong personal values? Or can you work for a broad range of employers, even those whose values differ from your own?
• How much does it affect you when a company’s policies are reflected in the everyday behavioral norms?
• Do I need to work in an environment where work/life balance is strongly valued and encouraged? Or can I set my own boundaries despite other employees in the company working 60 hours per week or after hours?
• What gets you out of bed in the morning and optimistic (or excited by the future)?
• Have you worked a job previously where you felt your values, mission, and beliefs were misaligned? If so, what did that feel like?
• Do you need to fully embrace the company’s goals in order to perform at your highest potential?

Culture & Teamwork

This component of “fit” is what occurs between how you (as an employee) prefer to get work done and how your team gets work done together. This is a significant component of fit finding because there is not a lot that can make up for poor teamwork and culture – it can make for long and difficult work days. Culture “fit” boils down to how yourself and the team define and perform “teamwork”.

• How should a team measure its success? How often?  In what way?
• Do you want to work on a team that meets goals or is always striving to exceed them? 
• What kind of rewards do you enjoy?  Looking for opportunities for individual or team recognition?
• How should my team solve problems? Do people work together to solve all issues together, or does the team expect individuals to solve their own problems?
• How should my team communicate with one another – formally or informally?
• How often and in what ways should a team meet together?  
• How do I prefer decisions to be made?  Should everyone get a chance to weigh in, or does management just make decisions on the team’s behalf?
• How should myself and my team members get and give feedback to one another?
• How formal/informal of a dress code makes me comfortable?    

Motivation

This is the “fit” between what you hope to gain from going to work each day, and what the job, the company, and team has to offer. When what a job delivers to you (more pay, better benefits, recognition, challenge, etc.) aligns with what you want and need from your job, you’ve found a motivational fit!

• Do I need a chance to be recognized and promoted based on a highly visible form of personal contribution?
• What are my aspirations for myself and my team?
• What do I need to be paid in order to feel success?
• How important are benefits to me? Healthcare care coverage?  PTO? HTO?
• How important is it for me to know their job is secure and not subject to lay off?

Head swirling yet?

Don’t stress. The PACE team has spent over 40 years perfecting our “fit finder” processes to make sure you find the right job you will love! 

PACE Staffing Network is one of the Puget Sound’s premier staffing /recruiting agencies and has been helping  Northwest job seekers find their “just right” jobs for over 40 years. A  5-time winner of the coveted “Best in Staffing” designation , PACE is ranked in the top 2% of staffing agencies nationwide based on annual surveys of customer satisfaction.

PACE provides multiple placement options:

• Direct Placement – Full or Part Time
• Temp to Hire Auditions
• Short or Long Term Temporary Assignments – Full or Part Time
• Contracts & Projects

For more information on how the PACE Staffing Network can help you find the right Temp-to-Hire audition for you, give our Candidate Services team a call today at 425-637-3311 or send us an Email