A Good Fit
What exactly is a good fit?
A good fit is something that matches your specifications. Fundamentally, it’s where demand meets supply.
The clothing and shoe industries do a great job of enabling a good fit. They each provide a variety of styles in multiple sizes to match what you might be looking for. And if the fit isn’t perfect, your local tailor or shoe repairman can make adjustments.
The same is true with restaurants that provide a broad menu to fit your taste. They serve hot or cold starters, main courses of meat, fish, or vegetarian, different starches. And if the preparation isn’t to your liking, it can likely be made to the way you prefer.
Now, what about a good fit like when it comes to matching a potential employee or consultant to a hiring company? How well does that work? Not as well in many cases. Why is that?
For one thing, supply isn’t as abundant.
Second, demand can be quite demanding, perhaps unreasonably so.
Third, humans aren’t made from molds or recipes. We’re unique.
Think about what happens when a hiring company meets a really good candidate who matches nearly all of its criteria. Rather than move in to secure and support that near-perfect candidate with everything needed to be successful, the company lets the person dangle while it continues to look for the ‘rock star’ or ‘supermodel’ candidate.
Now what if you’re the near-perfect candidate? The company fits most of what you’re looking for, but its process leaves a lot to be desired. It runs hot and cold with inconsistent feedback. Is that an indication of the company’s culture or perhaps what decision-making will be like? Probably so. Your interest level wanes.
What do we do with this common dance between companies and candidates?
Accept reality. There is no such thing as a perfect fit when it comes to hiring.
Go for it. Be decisive, clear and completely committed to success. That’s what makes most every relationship a good fit.
The alternative is risky. Every day you continue to look for perfection is another day you’ve allowed the market to encroach on your space and impede your agenda.
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Thomas Butta
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Great post Tom! Especially relevant during this soft economy where employers are overly picky (demanding) and easily fall victim to the ‘analysis paralysis’ syndrome. Curious to hear your thoughts on what a job seeker can do to counteract this phenomena. Cheers, David.
What can a candidate do? Increase the at-bats. Be abundantly clear on their uniqueness. And, keep on keepin’ on.
Very good point, Tom. I wonder also how much misguided emotion augments the misfit. Meaning, a candidate wants to work at a certain company so badly, they overlook the actual job’s description. We see this in advertising all the time. They want the company’s name on their resumes, not necessarily to do the job they’re hired to do.
Same in reverse, I suppose (company wants to hire someone so badly they’ll even give them an inappropriate job). Either way, seems destined to failure. What do you think?
Hey Will. Hmmm. I suppose this has some truth to it. Given the dynamic between the oversupply of ‘talent’ relative to the hiring company sitting in the cat bird seat I think we’re seeing all kinds of awkward processes and, potentially, ineffective decisions. Too much time usually blurs the edges on what’s possible.