Away from the fall out of the referendum vote, a second Euro exit occurred this week – that of England from the Euro 2016 finals. The team’s premature exit came at the hands of Iceland, a nation with a population of less than 330,000, roughly the same as Leicester. What has that got to do with HR? As with Leicester City, we can draw some lessons from England’s defeat.
Culture fit is vital
Hiring a team of top performers doesn’t instantly guarantee they will work well together if the culture fit is wrong. Iceland’s team, consisting of just one Premier League player alongside some part-timers, were written off by the majority of pundits before the game yet showed spirit, cohesion and organisation. Their victory against an opposition consisting of high achieving players who should have run them off the pitch, so to speak, demonstrates the importance of selecting people who are capable of working together, especially when the odds are heavily stacked against them. Culture fit plays a significant part in this and becomes more crucial when recruiting from a limited talent pool, as Iceland’s win shows us.
Uninspiring leadership will affect even top talent
The immediate post-match resignation of England manager Roy Hodgson manager, reading from what appeared to be a pre-prepared statement, suggests he lacked confidence in his players’ ability to win before they set foot on the pitch. It seems like the England team shared that view. Your employees will respond to your message, whether subliminal or otherwise. England’s football leadership lacked strategy and a leader who was capable of a convincing half time ‘team talk’. HR’s role is to encourage, inspire and communicate. Outstanding employees still benefit from appropriate guidance, ongoing recognition and, as England's experience shows, a reality check to ensure they are motivated to achieve.
Collaboration is essential for performance
Without collaboration, your organisation is at risk of failing to achieve its goals. A recent survey from Cornerstone Demand warns of low levels of employee happiness and financial performance if levels of collaboration – and flexible working – don’t improve. While their personal financial situations are unlikely to be affected, the England team demonstrate the issues arising from a lack of collaboration. The result is a failure to achieve your business aims. The Cornerstone study also suggested that only 62% of UK businesses encourage employees to work together (compared to 72% across Europe). Collaboration is essential to ensuring happy employers and a successful company performance. For the record, Iceland is ranked as the third happiest country in the world, compared to the UK in 23rd place.
Look for the unlikely candidates
Iceland's team consisted of several unlikely candidates who achieved the unexpected. Try hiring an applicant who doesn’t fit your idea of who your ideal hire is in terms of education or career history. Take steps to reduce unconscious bias during your hiring process to improve your talent acquisition success. Begin with removing your degree filter or using anonymised CVs during your initial screening. HR technology with integrated applicant tracking software will enable you to achieve this and focus on hiring talent that will transform your business.
Hire the team that will make a difference to your business performance. Invest in recruiting software used by some of the world’s leading organisations. Talk to Advorto today.
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