Here is a famous Hindi Movie song that rings the bell in my HR mind. When you are hiring someone, what does the candidate say:
तेरे वास्ते फलक से मैं चाँद लाउँगा, सोलह सत्रह सितारे संग बाँध लाउँगा
- They promise everything under the sun.
But when after hiring, you ask them to perform, they sing a different line of the same song:
चाँद तारों से कहोकी अभी ठहरें ज़रा, पहले इश्क़ लड़ा लूँ उसके बाद लाउँगा
So after joining, they hint that they have different priorities, not what they promised.
I have often been asked how we can detect if someone fits our culture. We need to detect that early, very early. At Enjay, we have a simple principle on which our HR policy is based – Our One-Liner HR Policy. We implement those ideas from day 1 of the person joining Enjay.
Four points to uncover culture fit.
If any of these four points are discounted, we discontinue (after due warnings and help). If any of these four conditions are not met, we discontinue.
These four points become fundamental pillars of culture at Enjay. Do you want to call them HR Policy or a “Culture-Pillar“? Whatever you call them, they are critical.
#1 – No follow-up culture
- If we have to follow up on the assigned work, we discontinue. The team member should provide the update. If you, as a boss, must keep asking for updates, it must be fixed.
No one starts a business because they want to keep asking for updates from their juniors.
Why do freshers not have a habit of giving updates? That’s because of our education system. In school and college, who gives homework? Who will check homework? Teacher will.
If the teacher does not come, students are happy; if they know that the teacher is not going to come, they will surely not even do the homework.
They do homework because the teacher is going to check.
Some candidates play smart; they agree to everything in the interview. And then they don’t work that way. We discontinue.
Responsibility is not given; it’s taken. Opportunity is given. The responsibility of senior team leaders is to provide opportunities; it’s the onus of the team members to accept responsibility.
#2 – Truth and only truth
- If we have to struggle to find the truth, we discontinue.
At Enjay, we understand that things will go wrong. We know that people will make mistakes. But we don’t expect them to hide the truth from other team members.
If the truth is shared immediately, then corrective action can be taken.
Let’s take an example of a false funnel. I have seen in many companies that sales review meetings are extraordinarily long because managers must work hard to uncover the actual funnel. They always doubt that the salesperson is lying.
Don’t doubt your team member, or get that doubt cleared ASAP. You cannot work long if you suspect your team member.
#3- Respect & Dignity
Respect for self, team members, and all extended stakeholders. We discontinue if we find arrogance, disrespect for other team members, or discriminatory behaviour.
Even if we find someone extra flirty and romantic, we discontinue.
#4 – One.Five programs. (The growth program)
We don’t want people who are stagnant in life and do not have a burning desire to grow. So, at Enjay, we have designed a fast-track growth program called OneDotFive.
Suppose the person is growing slower than they should have. We counsel them and try to help them overcome those challenges. But, if they are not willing to change, we discontinue.
Sometimes, business owners know the person is unfit but don’t fire them. The reason is that they may not want to do the entire hiring exercise again, or they may not want to admit that they made a hiring mistake.
Benefits of detecting culture fit at an early stage.
- Save money and resources.
- Save yourself of the frustration.
- You end up with a team you desire. (More engaged and satisfied.)
- Fewer people will leave your organisation. (Lesser turnover).
- Strong employer brand because you are fast in rewarding the right people and
- removing the wrong candidates faster.
- Better decision-making and problem-solving since you now have more trust in each other.
What is your feedback on this?
