Match Making: Ensuring the Right People are in the Right Jobs

“You’ve got to have the right people in the right job”. You’ve heard the expression before—likely multiple times. And when you do hear someone espousing the adage, it certainly doesn’t sound like revolutionary thinking, does it? More like plain old common sense.  However, take a minute to think about how your own business evolved.  Did your wife volunteer to start helping with bookkeeping when she saw how overwhelmed you were with servicing customers? Did you ask a former colleague for some advice and the next thing you know he was heading up sales?  This is often how many small businesses begin to grow. So it’s not at all unusual to wake up one day to think, “Is this really working as well as it could be?”

So how do you become a good matchmaker—to make sure your people and their jobs are a “good fit”? Let’s start by defining a job fit. Talent experts describe a good job fit as one where the passions and talents of the individual match those required by the work and where the values of the individual are in sync with the values ofthe organization. Caliper, a Princeton, NJ based psychological testing and HR consulting firm, conducted a number of studies that suggest that one of the main reasons for turnover is lack of job fit. “Job fit has a positive impact on the bottom line, or a negative impact if you don’t have it.”  That’s why, if you really want a successful company, you must pay attention to job fit. These are the benefits:

Increases Retention

When people are in a job they like and do well, they tend to stay put. Studies have proven that retention rates are higher when people feel they are in a job in which they excel. Since it costs three times more to hire new people, this is not only a “nice to do” but a must. Research shows that even an $8/hour employee can end up costing a company around $3,500 in costs, both direct and indirect, when they turn over.

Increases Productivity

Your employees are the most valuable asset of your organization. Keeping them engaged and motivated is the key to building a successful, highly productive company. When people are matched with work that makes the most of their natural talents and is in sync with their passions, productivity increases. When engaged in a job they enjoy, employees are then often able to then take on additional work when the need arises—they can often cover short bursts of increased demand without your having to hire additional personnel.

Attracts More Good People

When it’s clear you’ve made a commitment to people and to provide jobs that fit their talents, it will help you attract even more good people.  A positive culture, where people enjoy their work, is one of the most attractive “benefits” you can offer a new employee. Small business coach, Terry Whitaker,says that an organization’s culture flows directly from its mission and values. “When both are well-defined and known to all, you create a culture. If teamwork is a core value for you, and you “walk your talk”, your culture will attract more team players”.

Getting the right people in the right jobs means more than hiring good people. You must stay alert to changes in your industry and how such changes affect the roles and responsibilities of your people over time. Paying attention to the needs of your employees and becoming a good “matchmaker” is a hallmark of a true leader. For more strategies that help you run your business download our Standard Operating Procedures whitepaper.

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