The science of “fit”
Posted On July 15, 2014
It is fairly common practice for companies to hold team or peer-to-peer interviews for incoming employees, in addition to traditional human resources and manager interviews. The goal, of course, is to make sure that a candidate who looks good on paper is a good fit for the proposed peer team. And since we know that employees are more likely to stay OR leave a job because of the people than because of benefits or pay, this peer interview approach is important. But it is still based on gut feel, a hunch. And let’s be honest, one’s hunch can always be wrong and can shift with the mood of the day.
Some would advocate for a more scientific approach. As Fast Company reports, today’s data-driven society allows for companies to go way beyond Myers-Briggs to understand who their prospective and current employees really are…and how they will best fit. This could be especially useful for Millennials as they have strong innate desire for a sense of belonging and purpose in their work. And while I do believe in data, those personal discussions shouldn’t go away. Science is precise, but it isn’t perfect. After all, the algorithms behind behavioral DNA are similar to those that populate your advertising options on the internet. Sometimes they are eerily spot-on (I was just thinking about buying new running shoes) and other times they are laughably off base (single seniors anyone?).