Why Employee FIT Matters

Most organizations focus on hiring employees that have the best skills for the job. Sometimes employees are hired because the boss has a relative or friend that needs a job, and occasionally some are hired because the business simply needs to fill an open slot. Often times, little consideration is given as to whether or not the employee fits well within the culture or will perform well in their role based on their natural, God-given skills, interests and personality traits. Unfortunately, hiring without understanding Employee FIT generates a significantly high cost for the employer and the employee over time.

What is Employee FIT?

It’s important to understand what Employee FIT is and what it isn’t. Employee FIT
doesn’t mean that everyone is the same. In a well-functioning organization, you have a variety of different people who have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. This is part of the overall “personality” of your organization and what helps differentiate you from others in the industry

Employee FIT does mean having employees who are able to use their unique skills and meet the job requirements in accordance with the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that your company values. Each employee embodies these values in his or her own way, but as a group, your employees work together because they share the same company values and commitment to the company’s overall success.

Employee FIT generates the greatest impact for an organization, however, when employees are aligned most closely to their natural, God-given skills, interests, and unique personality traits.  This is the hardest FIT to attain, but when such a match is made, this generates the greatest satisfaction for both the employer and the employee.

Benefits of Having Employees who FIT

The benefits of having employees who FIT impact both your staff and your organization. Employees who FIT have much greater job satisfaction and are likely to remain with the company for a much longer period of time. In addition, these employees are more committed to their jobs and exceed their goals, resulting in much greater job performance and output for the company.

Your organization benefits from employees who FIT as well. Not only are individual employees encouraged by positive FIT, but employees who FIT are contagious, resulting in increased job satisfaction and morale for your greater workforce.  In addition, with greater Employee FIT, you reap the advantages of having a stable workforce optimized for performance as you intended, which allows you to focus on your company’s long-term growth.

Consequences of Employees Who Don’t FIT

There are also consequences when you keep someone in your organization who doesn’t FIT with your company attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors – or who is in a job that doesn’t’ align to their talents or general work interests. We all know that an employee who doesn’t FIT can poison the water for everyone.  The impact of this alone can generate a huge cost to an organization.

You may generate additional costs on your organization by striving to create a FIT for an employee after they’re hired. Unfortunately, this is all too common.  It can come in many forms, but is most readily seen in an exhaustive cycle of retraining and counseling for poor job performance.  These employees may struggle for a while in their existing job and then may attempt to find their FIT by failed attempts at other jobs within your business.  Unfortunately, this unhealthy quest to find FIT runs out of steam, and the employee will need to be separated from your employment.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the costs associated with employee turnover can be as much as 80% of the employee’s salary – a hefty burden for any organization. Clearly it’s much more cost-effective to focus on Employee FIT as early as possible during the employee lifecycle.  Preferably during the hiring process.

Finding Employee FIT

Attaining Employee FIT is a primary key to the success of any business.  For tribes and tribal-owned businesses, Employee FIT is especially important. Your organization isn’t just a business – it’s a vital part of your community. How your organization performs and behaves can have a direct impact on your tribe and tribal members. If your company does well, you generate a great reputation in the community and profits that allow you to positively impact the tribe as a whole.

Attaining Employee FIT doesn’t have to remain a game of chance – an attempt by a hiring manager to match a job with a resume and a good interview.  Employee FIT is now a science that is governed by data, analytics and a proven track record of success.

At S3 Management Group, we are committed to you – helping you steward your resources and your people.  We can show you how to find successful employees who FIT by replicating the characteristics of your best employees, or Superstars, in a scientific and predictable manner. Contact us today to learn more!