The most important quality your leadership hire NEEDS

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Finding the right candidate at any level means more than finding an employee that has the right skill set; it means finding a candidate that fits into the team. Most HR professionals are aware of the importance of that fit in team members, but it is even more critical for your leadership positions. What does it look like when an executive meshes into corporate culture? We studied the most important quality your leadership hire needs.

Fitting into the culture as a leader doesn’t mean people are asking the VP to come over for college football Saturday every weekend, nor does it mean that everyone from Sal at the reception desk to Joe in accounting likes them.

A good cultural fit includes values that line up with the company and a personality that fits the company’s needs.

A mismatch between personal values, business values, and corporate values make it hard for a decision maker to move the company in the best direction.

Example: Maybe your company motto is “Sustainable Resources Make the World Go Around”. Most of your employees have bought fully into the company philosophy of smaller is better. You’ve purchased materials just in time in order to reduce your storage needs, you’ve moved to compact cars, you’ve replaced all your desktop computers with tablets.

But then, your potential hire expresses their disdain for modern innovations that lead to lower emission and fuel efficient vehicles, there’s a good chance company values aren’t lining up with this person. On their first day, the new VP buys the largest desk in the office supply catalog and requests a gas guzzling SUV to drive in the office carpool. He creates tension in the office because of the mismatch in values that can result in greatly decreased employee satisfaction and eventually cause turnover, sometimes en masse.

It’s be said that hard skills are primarily responsible for getting you the job. But it’s the soft skills keep you there and get you promoted.

A great search firm can design a recruiting approach that centers on assessing a culture fit. They can help you develop a profile that aligns the values of candidates with those at your company. This approach supports the importance of ensuring a long-term fit. The recruiters at Artemis are experts at customizing a search that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes for candidates and companies alike. Contact us to learn how we can assist you.

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