For many years, organizations looked for candidates who could fit into an existing company culture and organizational structure, in roles that would remain relatively static. In effect, they hired candidates who would maintain the status quo.
Organizations today can no longer afford to remain static. To survive and thrive, they need to evolve constantly. They may do this through continuous improvement of products, services or processes. Or they may transform themselves at a more fundamental level by changing their core businesses.
To hire candidates with the right fit, organizations must now determine the essential traits required in a new hire to add ongoing value as the organization evolves. They must assess candidates not on their conformity to the status quo but on their ability to evolve and prosper within a changing environment.
To contribute to an organization’s continuous improvement, a candidate may need to demonstrate traits such as adaptability, openness to change, initiative, and forward thinking. Companies undergoing major transformations may need candidates who demonstrate strategic agility, composure under pressure, resourcefulness, resilience, managerial courage and entrepreneurial outlook.
A changing organization clearly requires many additional attributes in a new hire. A candidate who can adapt readily to change may still have difficulty working in a team environment if he or she can’t work with other people or can’t communicate ideas effectively. Without these traits a new hire will not meet the organization’s expectations for the role.
In my experience working with thousands of organizations, I’ve learned that each role comes with its own unique matrix of traits. That’s why I wrote Hiring for Fit: A Key Leadership Skill. In this book, I break down the complex topic of fit to provide leaders with an easy way to define essential traits for fit before they start the hiring process. The book also includes an A-Z guide that they can follow from the beginning to the end of the process to ensure that they hire the right fit.
For more information about developing the critical skills required for successful hiring, please email me at