Aerotek Perfect Fit Survey 2012

Q3 2012

PERF

ECT F

IT SU

RVEY

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Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 3

HIRIng TREndS: FIT, SCREEnIng

& CUlTURE

Hiring practices have changed over the decades and the landscape of the workforce has experienced dramatic change. Since the beginning of 2012, temporary and contract staffing has jumped almost 25% percent, as companies and job seekers navigate through the effects of the recession. As hiring moves toward an upswing, will your company be ready?

To evaluate the best hiring strategies, Aerotek’s Perfect Fit Survey | Q3 2012 looked at trends related to candidate fit, screening and culture. The goal of our survey was to assess if hiring practices have changed and to identify what is most important to hiring managers today. We honed in on the idea of a perfect hire, the willingness to compromise and the impact of culture in the hiring process today. In addition to responding to survey questions, participants had the opportunity to provide detailed responses to several open ended questions. We share their overall survey responses in addition to respondents’ best hiring advice and how they describe a perfect match.

About Aerotek’s Perfect Fit Survey

Aerotek is a leading provider of technical, professional and industrial staffing services. In partnership with Inavero, a leading satisfaction survey provider, Aerotek conducted a quarterly survey in May 2012 with hiring managers from organizations of varying size and industries across North America. Nearly 1,000 professionals involved in hiring employees shared their insight on candidate fit, screening practices and the impact of culture in hiring through a 10-minute online questionnaire.The results yielded a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2% at a 95% confidence level. For more information about the survey, please contact Laura Faya at [email protected].

AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 20124

FIT And SCREEnIng

Question 1: Do you believe there is such a thing as a “perfect hire”?

51%NO

49%YES

TAKEAWAY: Hiring managers are not jaded when it comes to the idea of a perfect hire. Just shy of half of hiring managers surveyed (49%) believe the perfect hire does exist. Though 51% do not believe the perfect hire exists, their responses throughout the survey closely mirror those of their counterparts that believe it does.

Question 2: How difficult is finding a perfect match for an open position that meets the skill level, experience and salary requirements?

Today versus 6 months ago 14% 31%55%

6 months from now compared to today 59%9% 32%

Less difficult About the same More difficult

TAKEAWAY: Respondents are optimistic about their ability to find a candidate that is a perfect match. The majority (69%) believe finding a candidate that meets the skill level, experience and salary requirements for an open position is the same or less difficult today versus six months ago.


FIT And SCREEnIng

Question 3: To what extent did your last hire fit with the following?

PoSiTion ovErAll

4%39%

56%

SKillS MATcH ExPEriEncE lEvEl coMPAnY culTurE MATcH

40%

56%

41%

50%

43%

51%

Fit extremely poorly Fit somewhat poorly Fit somewhat well Fit extremely well

TAKEAWAY: Overall hiring managers are very satisfied with the candidates they are hiring. Though the perception remains that hiring is becoming more difficult, in large part due to lack of skills, 56% of respondents said their last hire’s skills fit extremely well.

1%

1% 1% 1%3% 5%8%


FIT And SCREEnIng

Question 4: During the hiring process, what is the most important attribute a candidate must possess to be offered a position?

How well they match the technical skills for the position 56%

How well they match the company’s culture 10%

Their communication style 4%

Their current level of experience 8%

How work ready they are 4%

Their work ethic 9%

Their time management skills 0%

Their current level of training and education 2%

A strong track record of reliability 4%

Receiving positive references 0%

Meeting/exceeding expectations on pre-hire project 1%

Other 1%

*Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.

TAKEAWAY: Technical skills trump all other attributes. Most important to hiring managers is how well a candidate matches the technical skills at (56%), far outweighing all other attributes. The higher the level of the recent hire, the more importance placed on a technical skills match.


FIT And SCREEnIng

Question 5: Are you willing to compromise some attributes in order to secure a candidate that fits more important criteria?

14%

86%WILLINg TO

cOMPrOMISe

NOT WILLINg TO cOMPrOMISe

TAKEAWAY: The majority of hiring managers (86%) are willing to compromise to get the most essential attributes in a candidate. While nearly half of hiring managers believe in a perfect fit and most are willing to compromise, the definition of a perfect hire may leave some room for exception.

Question 6: Which attribute are you most likely to compromise in order to secure a candidate that fits more important criteria?

Experience level 32%

Being work ‘ready’(no skills training necessary before work can begin)

15%

Training and education level 15%

Skills match 13%

Culture match 8%

Communication style 7%

Positive references 4%

Meet/exceed expectations on pre-hire project 4%

Time management 2%

Work ethic 1%

Track record of reliability 1%

Not willing to compromise

TAKEAWAY: candidates should promote technical skills in lieu of work experience. The largest percentage of hiring managers (32%) say they are willing to sacrifice experience level, which may be seen as less relevant, assuming a candidate’s technical skills closely match the position.


0%


FIT And SCREEnIng

Question 7: Which of the following best describes your candidate screening process now compared to six months ago?

Increased the number of screening procedures/steps 25%

Screening process remained the same 70%

Decreased the number of screening procedures/steps 5%

TAKEAWAY: companies are reviewing their screening process and some are becoming more in-depth. One in four hiring managers report that they increased the number of steps in their screening process over the last six months.

Question 8: Which approach is most important to ensure a candidate has the required attributes for a specific position?

Interview with multiple members of same team 27%

Phone interview pre-screening 20%

Submit requirements to a staffing firm 14%

Multiple interviews on different days 10%

Interview with multiple members of different team 9%

Testing and assessment 7%

Reference verification 6%

Pre-hire project to establish current skill level 3%

Pre-hire candidate background survey 2%

Job shadow 1%

Other 1%

TAKEAWAY: There is little consensus on the best screening approaches. Not one approach was mentioned in the top three by more than half the respondents. The common approach (27%) is interviewing with multiple members of the same team, with a large disparity among the remaining approaches used to screen.


CUlTURE FIT

Question 9: What impact does company culture have on your decision to make a job offer?

10%

MINIMAL TO NO IMPAcT


TAKEAWAY: Culture fit is becoming an important part of today’s hiring process. Three out of five hiring managers (62%) believe a candidate’s fit with company culture has a significant or huge impact on their decision to a make a job offer.

Question 10: What top aspect of your company’s culture should a candidate be compatible with to receive a job offer?

Work ethic meetsthe job requirements 29%

Fits with current office environment/attitude 21%

Personality works well with existing workforce 21%

Candidate buys into and supports company mission and values 11%

Type of job (ex. office job versus factory floor)

6%

Communication style works well with existing workforce 5%

Ability to follow the example setby management/leadership 4%

Ability to be on call after hours 1%

Culture fit is not considered during the hiring process 1%

Interests outside of work are consistent with current workforce

TAKEAWAY: Work ethic is considered a driving factor in determining a culture fit. The largest percentage of hiring managers (29%) believe a candidate’s work ethic meeting the job requirements is a prerequisite to being compatible with their company’s culture. Also important was fit with the existing workforce and office environment.

62%SIgNIFIcANT TO Huge

IMPAcT

29%MODerATe

IMPAcT

0%


CUlTURE FIT

Question 11: To what extent do you think your company’s culture is defined by the workplace (office environment, type of job, company values) or the workforce (coworkers, management, communication style)?

Defined by workplace 20%

Equal combination of both 52%

Somewhat defined by workforce 28%

TAKEAWAY: Culture is defined by both workforce and the workplace. The majority of hiring managers (52%) believe it to be an equal combination of both, while a slightly higher percentage (28%) feel culture is more defined by workforce versus workplace (20%).

Question 12: Which step is most important to ensuring a candidate will fit well with your company’s culture?

Interview with multiple members of same team 44%

Interview with multiple members of different team 14%

Describe company culture in detail to candidate 14%

Multiple interviews on different days 11%

Reference verification 8%

Interview questions relating to non-work topics (hobbies, etc.) 5%

Candidate attends meetings/visits office to experience company culture 3%

Other 1%

Interview in non-work social settings (restaurant, bar, etc.) 0%

TAKEAWAY: Culture fit can be determined through interaction with the existing workforce. The majority (44%) believe by interviewing with multiple members of the same team will ensure that a candidate fits well with the company’s culture.


ExPlORIng THE mEAnIng bEHInd A PERFECT HIREJust shy of half of hiring managers surveyed (49%) believe the perfect hire does exist. Though 51% do not believe the perfect hire exists, their responses throughout the survey closely mirror those of their counterparts that believe it does. each side values the same attributes in a candidate, has similar concerns about hiring in the future and both are equally willing to compromise some attributes to find the right candidate. So why the divide? One plausible explanation is the very nature of human beings and those that view the glass as half empty or half full. The hiring process is not without subjectivity just as our personal preferences affect whether or not we believe a perfect hire exists.

Think about your perception of the perfect hire and determine if you are swayed by the top reasons Aerotek identified from the survey results selected on both sides of the coin.

49% SAY YESThe Perfect Hire Does Exist.

51% SAY nOThe Perfect Hire Does not Exist.

“A perfect hire has the right balance of previous experience that our company doesn’t already have. A perfect hire meets that criteria and can apply their unique experience in a new setting.”

“Perfect hire doesn’t mean a perfect person. Based on a series of interviews, we can confidently say this candidate is a great fit and we don’t have any reservations. I call these WOW interviews; although rare, they do exist.”

“There is a perfect fit of skills, personality and attitude for every position. It is rare to find any candidate that possesses all three, but they do exist.”

“There is an ideal candidate out there for every position, though not easy to find. With this in mind, we aim for the candidate that most closely resembles the perfect hire.”

“You can find the candidate that is a perfect match for your organization in terms of culture and skills. They may not necessarily have all the skills, but they can develop which will keep them engaged.”

“every candidate will have a flaw and if you spend too much time looking or waiting for the perfect hire, you may miss out on very good hires that can become a perfect employee.”

“given the time constraints of the hiring process, it is unlikely to find an exact fit for any job description. The most important thing is to figure out what the successful person must have for the position.”

“If a candidate is a perfect match for a position, then that person is likely over qualified and will not stay in the position. Ideal candidates will meet all minimum requirements but have an opportunity to grow in the position.”

“No one is a perfect fit; there are always strengths and weaknesses. I have to weigh the results of each candidate’s attributes and determine which candidate is the best fit.”

“No one is able to meet all the key requirements perfectly for a position. We establish a perfect profile for a position and find candidates that meet all the must haves, that we don’t compromise on. If they meet the should have, than that’s a bonus.”


bEST HIRIng AdVICE FROm HIRIng mAnAgERSMany respondents were candid in their hiring advice to trust your instincts. There was however other great words of wisdom that hiring managers had to share. We have categorized the top responses into specific categories of advice related to fit, screening and culture.

FiT• “understand the position requirements.”

• “Develop a profile for an ideal candidate with respect to skills, knowledge, attitude and motivator. Decide on what you must have and what you’re willing to compromise.”

• “evaluate the person for their ability to rise to the job, not solely on their experience.”

• “Make sure that the candidate has the technical background to support the position and has a demonstrated reliability and commitment.”

• “Don’t rush your hiring decision simply because you need help. Hire a temp while you make a quality hiring decision.”

ScrEEning • “Don’t be quick to compromise when you don’t find the best candidate – be willing to go the extra mile to seek out

the best candidate.”

• “Try to set the candidate up in a working interview where they carry out some tasks alongside current employees without management being present. Then get feedback from current staff on how well the candidate fits.”

• “create a great relationship with your staffing partner, so they can do the screenings for you.”

• “Listen to your candidate. Ask open-ended questions and listen to their answers. What they tell or don’t tell you and their body language around their response is the best guide for finding the perfect fit.”

• “Interview with another colleague to ensure the right questions are being asked and the proper analysis of the candidate is made.”

culTurE• “Do not overlook personalities, effects on team morale and team cohesiveness.”

• “You can teach the knowledge needed and job duties for a specific position, but you cannot teach someone how to care about delivering great service or how to have a strong work ethic.”

• “Find a strong recruiting firm who takes the time to understand your culture, your company and your specific needs. This has proven time and again to be the most effective for our organization.”

• “Ask behavioral interviewing questions to gain an understanding of how they have handled various circumstances in their previous experience. Ask questions related to soft skills to establish a better assessment of a culture fit.”

• “Set up multiple interviews with varying team members to ensure there is a culture fit. Assuming the technical skills are in place, culture fit is most important for the long term effectiveness of an employee.”

Aerotek Perfect Fit Survey 2012

Business

Transcript of Aerotek Perfect Fit Survey 2012