Hiring: The Importance of Workplace Culture and Fit - 08-06-2012 : METRO article contact: Davis Erin Anderson articles for METRO in New York, NY US METRO

Hiring: The Importance of Workplace Culture and Fit - 08-06-2012 :

by Ellen Mehling

Creative Commons-licensed image via myprofe on Flickr

Hiring is risky. It's risky for the employer: if it doesn't work out, there is the unpleasantness of firing someone, work that's not getting done, possibly lowered morale for other employees, and then the hiring process to go through all over again. It is also risky for the applicant. Many hours are spent at work for a full-time job and if it is not working out, it can have an impact on other areas of the employee's life. The hours you are suffering at the office will deplete you and leave little time and energy for job hunting in order to get out of that bad situation.

Beyond what is stated in the job description, and certain traits (such as honesty) and "soft skills" (such as diplomacy and conflict resolution), employers want to know that the new employee will work well within the culture at that particular workplace. This requirement is harder to define or describe in a job description. It's more of an "I know it when I see it" subjective evaluation, and this is why the interview is part of the hiring process; it is very hard to gauge an applicant's potential to fit in at that workplace without sitting down and talking.

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[METRO article contact: Davis Erin Anderson articles for METRO in New York, NY US METRO]

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