As recently as a decade ago, many companies were using the same approaches to hiring that they had been using for 30, 40, or even 50 years. About the only change was that they’d post jobs online instead of in printed publications. But from that point on, they would do the same old things – conducting screening interviews over the phone, face-to-face interviews in a company office, and then they would make an offer and hope they had found the right candidate.
Today, so many hiring practices have changed. Companies know that when they list their jobs online on job boards or the company’s jobs page, they have to include key terms that applicants will find when they go looking for jobs – terms like “proven fitness professional” or, “must be fluent on QuickBooks and Slack.”
The applicant is still being interviewed today, but he or she is interviewing the company too. There are new attributes that most workers are looking for, like an exciting environment, a clear and understandable path to advancement, and a chance to exercise personal autonomy while still being part of a stimulating team.
Top-Line Concern: Cultural Fit Is the New Essential
You should be looking for much more than applicants who have the skills to get the job done. You should be hunting for employees who believe in what you do and feel a strong desire to become part of your company’s culture.
Employees who don’t feel that level of organic commitment are unlikely to be happy in your organization. And they will be likely to remain with you for only months, not years. And of course, you are keenly aware of the high costs of recruiting new workers and training them.
Here are some critical steps to make sure you hire new employees who fit with not just the content of their job descriptions, but with who your company is, what it stands for, what it wants to accomplish in the world, and where you and they will build a farsighted relationship together.
Communicate Your Mission Effectively
Because your goal is to become known for your mission, your culture, and what you do, be sure to communicate it widely so that prospective employees understand who you are and decide whether they believe in what you do. Your culture can be communicated in many ways, including:
Your website
Advertising and marketing
Events in your community that synch with your culture
Job ads that you post on job boards and in all other places where you let prospective employees know that you are hiring
Don’t hide your mission – broadcast it strongly and widely.
And Let Your Culture Permeate Your Hiring Processes
Talk to applicants about your mission and culture and assess whether they feel energized and ingaged by it.
Here are some strategies to help you screen applicants and determine which of them will be the best fit for your company and its culture:
Ask applicants to tell you what your culture and mission are – in their own words. This will help you find applicants who have researched your company or who, even better, deeply feel what you do and feel that they could belong with you.
Ask, “In your personal and professional life, what do you value the most?”
Ask, “How do you think we are contributing to the quality of life for our customers and our communities? How could contribute?”
Ask applicants to describe a company culture where they thrived, and why.
Ask, “What motivates you beyond compensation?”
Ask, “Tell me about a time you took part in a company initiative you believed in strongly. Why was that the case?”
Assess Applicants’ Ability to Use AI
Be sure to assess job applicants’ comfort and skills in the new and expanding world of Artificial Intelligence. There is no overlooking this essential part of hiring today, because your employees need to know their way around basic AI tools and apps. It has become as basic as knowing how to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Google Workspace, email, posting company news on social media sites . . . and maybe even turning the office lights on and off?
Here are some ways to assess how much your applicants know about AI, and how comfortable they are learning to use it.
Name commonly used AI apps (Chat GPT, Claude, Copilot, Claude and Gamma) and ask applicants whether they have used them, and how much they know about them.
If an applicant says he or she has used Copilot or another AI app, ask how. Was it to write website copy, prepare a company handbook – exactly what? Then ask him or her to describe the experience of using AI.
Ask the applicant to explain the ethical issues surrounding the use of AI tools on the job. Is he or she aware of the legal risks of using AI-generated content that could have been adapted from protected sources online, for example? Is he or she savvy enough to make sure that AI-generated content is correct? If you don’t make sure new hires are up to speed on these issues, you will be exposing your company to legal risk.
Additional Ways to Assess Applicants’ Cultural “Fit” with Your Organization
Have your finalist applicants meet with their potential supervisors and teams and observe the way they interact.
Let applicants take part in job simulations and assess their speed of learning, comfort, and adaptability.
Let strong applicants take part in an afternoon of the same training you give to new hires. This shows that you are invested in their success and lets you assess their strengths and aptitudes.
And When You Make the Job Offer, Stress that You Are Beginning a True Partnership
Don’t just say, “You got the job.” Instead, tell your chosen candidates that they have stood out from other applicants and that your offer is something to be taken seriously – both by your company and by your new hire. In a way, starting this new relationship is a solemn commitment on both your parts. The offer is important, and should be treated in a serious way.
To learn more about effective hiring, I encourage you to explore the ideas in my new bookIngaging Leadership: The Ultimate Edition.
About Evan Hackel
As an author, keynote speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur, Evan Hackel has been instrumental in launching more than 20 businesses and has managed a portfolio of brands with systemwide sales of more than $5 billion. He is the creator of Ingaged Leadership, the author of the book Ingaging Leadership: The Ultimate Edition,and a thought leader in leadership and success. Evan is the CEO of Ingage consulting. visit www.evanhackel.com