Finding the right "Fit" is more difficult than you think!

We've all had it happen to us... you're trying desperately to squeeze into that favourite pair of jeans. Eventually you have to admit defeat and tell yourself that they just don't fit! Even worse is that after you do manage to close the top button and headed out for the night, you find that you are so uncomfortable that you wish you had just stayed at home in your PJ's!!

The same can be said of your career, especially when changing positions and joining a new company. If the "fit" isn't right in terms of culture or values, then you will have a general feeling of being uncomfortable and that is not conducive to your motivation or engagement.

Cultural fit is one of the biggest challenges for recruiters today, particularly when people are now more conscious that they want to enjoy what they do as much as being good at their job.

Recent research has shown that ensuring a cultural fit between the individual and the organization has a 7.9 out of 10 difficulty rating for recruiters; according to new research conducted by global talent development and transition firm Lee Hecht Harrison. - See more at: http://www.lhh.com/press-room/news/ensuring-cultural-fit-is-biggest-talent-acquisition-challenge/#sthash.CbMUwXWp.dpuf

This can go some way to explaining why the personal face to face recruitment methods like networking and personal referrals are still more popular than purely using technology and social media to job hunt. Being in a 1:1 setting will definitely give you more of a flavour of the company atmosphere, values and vision, and will help any recruiter to figure out your personality and attitudes much more easily.

Undoubtedly technology and its rapid advances will still play a part in the recruitment process, but I don't think you can ever replace that very personal touch that needs to happen in order to find the right person for a particular role.

Its important for both parties to communicate their expectations well in terms of values, vision and culture -  an informed decision can then be made about whether the individual fits the company and vice versa, and hopefully no-one is left disappointed.

Glenda Nelson is Regional Manager of LHH Penna in Northern Ireland. LHH Penna helps employees navigate change, become better leaders, develop better careers and transition into new jobs smoothly. As the world's leading integrated Talent Development and Transition company, we have the local expertise, global infrastructure, and industry-leading technology required to simplify the complexity associated with executing critical talent and workforce initiatives, reducing brand and operational risk.