In Your Job Search, Target People, Not Just Jobs And Companies

Job seekers have A LOT to think about when searching for new employment opportunities. Networking, online job search, resume writing, interview preparation, company research – the list can seem overwhelming. One activity that should appear on every job seeker’s to-do list is targeting – not just a job or company, but people. 

Person-Job Fit

Most job seekers target specific job titles and roles. For example, if you possess the background (training, experience, skills) to be an accountant or an HVAC Technician, those are titles and roles you are going to be seeking out and applying for. This makes sense because there is a clear connection between your interests and competencies and the responsibilities and opportunities offered by the job. Most job seekers use these matching criteria – interests and competencies with job title/role – when looking for employment. This is a good starting point, but often not enough when seeking the best possible employment match.

Person-Organization Fit

Some job seekers look beyond the interest and skills alignment and also pursue a values alignment. They target specific companies and industries whose expressed and actual values match theirs. They want to work in a setting and culture where they feel like they belong, somewhere they feel comfortable, someplace where the mission and vision align with theirs. For instance, for job seekers who may want to serve underserved populations, they may target working in human service settings, whereas job seekers who have strong feelings about protecting the environment may seek out companies where CSR practices are at the forefront of operations.  At this stage, you are seeking out both jobs/roles and companies that are a good fit for you. This is better than focusing entirely on the job, but the criteria used for your match is still incomplete.

Person-Group Fit

The strategic job seeker, an individual who is looking for the best possible match, will go beyond looking for specific jobs/roles and companies and target specific people with which to work. They intuitively understand that companies are simply a group of people working together. And they know that the people they work with and the relationships with these co-workers, will have an outsized impact on their success at work, and also how long they stay with the employer. They intentionally seek out specific people from which to learn and work. Teammates who value them, who support them, and who will help them grow.    

Why is WHO YOU WORK WITH so important? Consider the following:

·        According to Gallup, “Employee engagement is determined by factors such as feeling clear about your role, having the opportunity to do what you do best, having opportunities at work to develop, enjoying strong co-worker relationships, and working with a common mission or purpose. Importantly, these are all factors that managers can directly influence and that vary considerably in how they are executed across teams within most organizations.”

·        A LinkedIn “Our Relationships @Work” Study revealed that 46% of professionals worldwide believe that work friends are important to their overall happiness.”

·        You’ve probably heard the frequently-used saying, “People don’t quit their companies, they quit their bosses.” While there is some disagreement to what degree this is true, there is no doubt that a bad relationship with your boss/supervisor/leader can negatively impact your work performance, health, and happiness.

In your job search, it’s natural to focus on a job title or a specific industry or company. Those are features you can easily identify, research, and determine degree of fit. But if your job search doesn’t incorporate who you will be working with and learning from, you run the risk of neglecting the relational aspect of your potential job. And nearly all work occurs within relationships. So, don’t focus solely on the job and company in your job search. You need to include who you want to work with as a determining factor in which roles you pursue and accept.  

[Originally published on LinkedIn on December 17, 2020: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-job-search-target-people-just-jobs-companies-bill-leonard-mhrm/]