As you’ve likely uncovered every recruiter or staffing agency has its own methods for making placements – matching up  jobs and employees to find the right fit.    At PACE, for example, finding the right job for a job candidate isn’t just about matching the qualifications on their resume (skills, experience etc.) with the “job specs”, but its about matching up their unique work  style, placement preferences, and motivational profile with what the job and its work environment have to offer.

Even in todays marketplace, there are a lot of jobs candidate’s “can do” but only a few they  really “wanna do”!  And yes, the right skills and work experiences can get a candidate hired, but it’s the “right fit” that will keep them actively engaged with their work, looking forward to Mondays.  That’s what everyone – bosses and employees – wants – yes?

For employers, hiring employees based on “fit” has an equally important pay-off.  Did you know that when an employee has a job that is the “right fit” for them, statistics predict that they will outperform an equally skilled but less well matched counterpart as much as 2 to 1.   They’re not just more productive, but they are happier, more engaged, more motivated to go beyond the minimum requirements of your job description.

Here are the factors our recruiters onsider when matching up job candidates with our client’s jobs:

The Right Fit Factor 1 – Is the actual work content what you like doing?

We consider it part of our service to job seekers to know what the job we are presenting to you is all about – really.

• Does it involve working with numbers, details, and/or people? Does it involve things you know you are really good at – and have enjoyed doing in the past?
• Does the job involve reasoning, judgement, and self management where you have specific strengths? Or is the work highly structured with a standardized process for every situation and may have been a work environment that has turned you off in the past?
• Will the work continue to challenge you, or can you already do it with your eyes closed, leaving little room for professional growth? Does professional growth matter to you?  Everyone is different…

We know you’ll do best when the type of work you are asked to do is the kind of work you’re good at and enjoy doing!   

The Right Fit Factor 2 – Does the job meet your basic expectations for pay, benefits, work environment, etc.?  

For example, is the job….

• In a location that minimizes your commute time? or the opportunity to work from home?
• Will it pay you what you need to meet your financial needs and expectations
• Is the physical work environment the kind of environment that makes you comfortable?
• Will you have access to a benefit package that is important to you?

We call these the logistic basics and we know that, long term, the logistic basis need to match up with your needs and preferences or you won’t be able to give the job your best!   

The Right Fit Factor 3 – Does the team you’re joining work together in ways that matches up with how you like to do things?

• If you like working in a team environment, solving problems as a group, you likely won’t be happy in a job where you are asked to solve problems on your own, with little to no interaction with others.
• If the job has a lot of tight deadlines that create pressures around time, it may not be the right job for you if you are a perfectionist and sometimes need extra time to get things done.
• If your boss expects you to learn “on the fly” and you prefer more structured training with written procedural documents, chances are you’ll find the work environment “difficult” if not “annoying”.
• If you end up working for a boss who tends to “over, rather than under, manage”, and you are not comfortable with that level of oversight, you likely won’t be able to give the job your best.

What are the “soft skills”  that you want to make sure gets put to good use in your next job?  What type of work environments tend to bring out your worse not your best qualities?  There is no right or wrong here – everyone is different and it’s the right fit that matters.

The Right Fit Factor 4 – Is the job going to give you the kind of opportunity you need to match up with your career goals?     

• Is the company growing or changing at a rate or in a way that will provide you with the type of opportunity for advancement you are looking for?
• If the company is offering opportunity for advancement, on what basis will those promotions be earned?
• If you are someone who wants to “make a difference” is the company size applicable to have any visible impact? Employees can get lost in big companies while in small companies every employee is expected to try and make a difference.

When it comes to finding the “right fit” for any job candidate, we like to know as much as possible about what’s important to that candidate – what they’re good at, what they love doing, what factors must be present in order to meet their minimum needs.   We do the same thing when working with our employer clients – we like to know exactly what they have to offer and how they work.  The right job is the job that best fits your skills, motivations, work style, and preferences.

PACE Staffing Network makes 1000’s of “matches” each year – putting people to work in jobs where they will “look forward to Mondays!”.  If you are or know someone who is in a job that’s not the right “fit” for them, ask them to give us a call at 425-637-3311 or e mail us at recruiters@pacestaffing.com.  To learn more about our services for employees and job seekers, check us out at www.pacestaffing.com

This article was written by Jeanne Knutzen, founder and CEO of PACE Staffing Network, a 2017 and 2018 Best of Staffing winner and a Northwest staffing company who has been placing employees in jobs based on the “right fit” for over 40 years.