Ducks in a Row: Cultural Fit
by Miki SaxonNot every soil can bear all things.
–Virgil
Virgil’s wise words have deep meaning when it comes to hiring.
Typically, managers interview for skills and experience that are similar to what the person will be doing in their new job.
Yet none of that information really predicts success.
If the culture of past company and the style of the candidate’s direct manager aren’t synergistic at the new company or with that particular hiring manager success may be ephemeral.
Like plants, different people need different growing conditions—soil, acidity, moisture, light—in order to thrive and grow.
It is the responsibility of the hiring manager, not HR or another manager, to determine if the soil is right for a particular candidate and, if not, can it be conditioned to support that person’s success.
Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedbee/103147140/