Having a cultural fit has become so important to hiring managers that it now rates above a 100 per cent match to the required technical skills, according to recruiting firm, Hays.
In its recently released April — June 2012 Hays Quarterly Report, statistics showed that not only are employers seeking candidates with a good cultural fit, applicants too, are seeking a company that offers the right fit.
This need has surpassed the candidates’ requirement of considering the salary on proposal.
According to Hays director, Nick Deligiannis, there have been a few cases of applicants declining job offers that did not have a company culture reflective of their long-term career goals.
“Employers are also considering not only a candidate’s technical skills but their cultural and team fit. We have seen many cases where an employer will train a candidate in the necessary technical skills if they are otherwise the right cultural fit for the business,” he said.
Deligiannis stated that the trend is arising across both the private and public sectors, especially for candidates from accountancy, human resources and office support.
He added that the necessity for a cultural fit arises as new recruits are more likely to be retained long-term, need to integrate into the existing team and have a fundamental knowledge of the business operations.
“There is a belief that technical skills can be taught, but cultural fit cannot. It is vital for employers to get cultural fit right to ensure business continuity and productivity. It’s also encouraging to see cultural fit acknowledged as strategically important,” he said.
The report also indicated that there is a lack of skilled IT staffs Australia-wide, in roles including: Java developers, programmers, developers, business analysts, systems administrators, analysts and IT desktop support.
Other industries in need of skilled workers, listed in the report, are: accountancy and finance, architecture, banking, contact centres, energy, education, engineering, executive, facilities management, healthcare, human resources, insurance, legal, logistics, manufacturing and operations, office support, oil and gas, life sciences, policy and strategy, procurement, property, resources and mining, retail, sales and marketing, as well as trades and labour.