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Skills vs Alignment

If you ask a great many employers, "What are you looking for in employee candidates?" At the top of the list would probably be "Skills". It only makes sense to know that the person you are going to offer a job to can "actually do the job." This is why certificates are looked for, years of experience are sought after, and skills tests are developed. But what about alignment? Over the years I've witnessed many examples where just because a person had ALL the needed skills, it did not automatically make them the perfect candidate for a job.


One's alignment with the goals and purposes of a group has a lot to do with their willingness to use the skills they have to forward the mission of the group, whether a for-profit business or a nonprofit organization. People with a strong alignment with the overall goals and purposes of the organization have a higher willingness to work within the rules and protect the group's culture. They tend to also better withstand the hardships or burdens that are required.



I remember back when I was troubleshooting telecom services. My particular group was tasked with providing 24/7 troubleshooting services for area data communication lines. It was not uncommon to be driving back to the garage after a full shift and receive the dreaded page that some car/pole accident had just torn up the data lines for an important business meaning we needed to go back out, possibly all night to restore service. There were times occasionally when some could be counted on to just go ahead and clock out, leaving a harder and longer job for those willing to stay and get the customer back up and running.


When one is in a very demanding work environment, you rely on the willingness of team members to support each other as a group. When team members cannot be relied on to throw their support into getting the job done when needed, no matter their skill level, it reduces morale and enters feelings of conflict.


One can test for skills easy enough. But it is also important to understand their level of alignment.


One of my clients was looking for a person to bring into their company. I was doing candidate screening for them as it was an important position. There was one particular candidate they almost offered the job to before bringing me in. They were in love with this candidate. The candidate had the perfect credentials and experience. They KNEW he would be a PERFECT fit.


They were shocked when we went over the screening results. Two of the tests were off the chart, as expected. The problem was the personality test. That test flagged as unreliable. The candidate had obviously answered the questions randomly as if trying to blow it off as unimportant. This left my client in a quandary as to what to do. Should they go ahead and offer the job based on the other assessments and their interview? I asked one question. "This was for a near-partner level position in their company. If this person gave so little importance to doing the assessment that she and her other owner identified as vital, how reliable are they likely to be as a team member?" My client passed on that candidate and two candidates later, found a MUCH BETTER FIT.


SKILLS are important. But the person's WILLINGNESS to use their skills as part of the group in forwarding the organization's purpose determines their actual value to the team.


 If you find that what I'm sharing is helpful, I hope you'll subscribe to this blog.


If you would like to have a conversation about gaining a better handle on knowing who you are looking to bring on your team, feel free to reach out by booking some time.

Best Regards,

Dave


 
 
 

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