2. ENGAGE WITH US @
aerotek.com Facebook.com/Aerotek Linkedin.com/Company/Aerotek Twitter.com/Aerotek
3. 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?
Hiring Trends: To evaluate the best hiring strategies, Aerotek’s Perfect Fit
Fit, Screening
Survey | Q3 2012 looked at trends related to candidate fit,
screening and culture. The goal of our survey was to assess
& Culture
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 lkowal@aerotek.com.
Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 3
4. FIT AND SCREENING
Question 1: Do you believe there is such a thing as a “perfect hire”?
TAKEAWAY: Hiring managers are not jaded
when it comes to the idea of a perfect hire. Just
49% shy of half of hiring managers surveyed (49%)
51%
NO YES 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 14% 55% 31%
ago
6 months from now 9% 59% 32%
compared to today
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.
4 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 2012
5. FIT AND SCREENING
Question 3: To what extent did your last hire fit with the following?
Position Overall
1%
39%
4%
56%
Skills Match Experience Level Company Culture Match
8% 5%
3%
1% 40% 1% 1%
41% 43%
56% 50% 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.
Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 5
6. 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.
6 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 2012
7. FIT AND SCREENING
Question 5: Are you willing to compromise some attributes in order to secure a candidate that fits
more important criteria?
Not willing to compromise
14%
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
86% most are willing to compromise, the definition of a
Willing to perfect hire may leave some room for exception.
compromise
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’ 15%
(no skills training necessary before work can begin)
Training and 15%
education level
Skills match 13%
Culture match 8%
Communication style 7%
Positive references 4%
Meet/exceed expectations 4%
on pre-hire project
Time management 2% TAKEAWAY: Candidates should promote
technical skills in lieu of work experience. The
Work ethic 1% largest percentage of hiring managers (32%)
say they are willing to sacrifice experience level,
Track record of reliability 1% which may be seen as less relevant, assuming
a candidate’s technical skills closely match the
Not willing to compromise 0%
position.
*Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 7
8. 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 25%
screening procedures/steps
Screening process remained 70%
the same
Decreased the number of 5%
screening procedures/steps
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 27%
members of same team
Phone interview 20%
pre-screening
Submit requirements 14%
to a staffing firm
Multiple interviews 10%
on different days
Interview with multiple 9%
members of different team
Testing and assessment 7%
Reference verification 6%
Pre-hire project to
establish current skill level 3% TAKEAWAY: There is little consensus on the
best screening approaches. Not one approach
Pre-hire candidate 2%
background survey was mentioned in the top three by more than half
the respondents. The common approach (27%) is
Job shadow 1% interviewing with multiple members of the same
team, with a large disparity among the remaining
Other 1%
approaches used to screen.
8 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 2012
9. Culture FIT
Question 9: What impact does company culture have on your decision to make a job offer?
minimal to
no impact
10% 29% TAKEAWAY: Culture fit is becoming an important
moderate part of today’s hiring process. Three out of five
impact hiring managers (62%) believe a candidate’s fit
with company culture has a significant or huge
62% impact on their decision to a make a job offer.
significant to huge
impact
*Percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Question 10: What top aspect of your company’s culture should a candidate be compatible with to
receive a job offer?
Work ethic meets 29%
the job requirements
Fits with current office 21%
environment/attitude
Personality works well 21%
with existing workforce
Candidate buys into and supports 11%
company mission and values
Type of job 6%
(ex. office job versus factory floor)
Communication style works well 5%
with existing workforce
Ability to follow the example set
by management/leadership 4% TAKEAWAY: Work ethic is considered a
driving factor in determining a culture fit. The
Ability to be on call 1%
after hours largest percentage of hiring managers (29%)
Culture fit is not considered believe a candidate’s work ethic meeting the job
during the hiring process 1% requirements is a prerequisite to being compatible
Interests outside of work are with their company’s culture. Also important was fit
0%
consistent with current workforce with the existing workforce and office environment.
Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 9
10. 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%
TAKEAWAY: Culture fit can be
determined through interaction
Reference verification 8%
with the existing workforce.
The majority (44%) believe by
Interview questions relating to non-work topics interviewing with multiple members
(hobbies, etc.) 5% of the same team will ensure
that a candidate fits well with the
Candidate attends meetings/visits office to 3% company’s culture.
experience company culture
Other 1%
Interview in non-work social settings (restaurant, 0%
bar, etc.)
10 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 2012
11. Exploring the meaning behind 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.
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 Yes 51% Say No
The Perfect Hire Does Exist. The Perfect Hire Does Not Exist.
“A perfect hire has the right balance of previous “Every candidate will have a flaw and if you
experience that our company doesn’t already spend too much time looking or waiting for the
have. A perfect hire meets that criteria and can perfect hire, you may miss out on very good
apply their unique experience in a new setting.” hires that can become a perfect employee.”
“Perfect hire doesn’t mean a perfect person. “Given the time constraints of the hiring process,
Based on a series of interviews, we can it is unlikely to find an exact fit for any job
confidently say this candidate is a great fit and description. The most important thing is to
we don’t have any reservations. I call these figure out what the successful person must have
WOW interviews; although rare, they do exist.” for the position.”
“There is a perfect fit of skills, personality and “If a candidate is a perfect match for a position,
attitude for every position. It is rare to find any then that person is likely over qualified and will
candidate that possesses all three, but they do not stay in the position. Ideal candidates will
exist.” meet all minimum requirements but have an
opportunity to grow in the position.”
“There is an ideal candidate out there for every
position, though not easy to find. With this in “No one is a perfect fit; there are always
mind, we aim for the candidate that most closely strengths and weaknesses. I have to weigh
resembles the perfect hire.” the results of each candidate’s attributes and
determine which candidate is the best fit.”
“You can find the candidate that is a perfect
match for your organization in terms of culture “No one is able to meet all the key requirements
and skills. They may not necessarily have all the perfectly for a position. We establish a perfect
skills, but they can develop which will keep them profile for a position and find candidates
engaged.” that meet all the must haves, that we don’t
compromise on. If they meet the should have,
than that’s a bonus.”
Q3 2012 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY 11
12. Best Hiring Advice FROM HIRING MANAGERS
Many 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.”
12 AEROTEK PERFECT FIT SURVEY Q3 2012
