Having the specific skills for a particular job is important, but even the most qualified job applicant may not pan out if there is a poor “fit” between the position and the workplace. Whether one wants to call it corporate culture, work environment, or simply fit, it’s not just what you do for a living, but also where you work that can play a strong role in success.
And when someone suffers from a mental health challenge such as depression or an anxiety disorder, the right fit becomes even more important—and potentially costly for the employer if overlooked.
Take, for example, the case of Stanley Stringer. Stringer lost a number of jobs over the course of his 35-year career as a reporter, writer and editor. He was convinced that a poor fit between his personality and a fast-paced work environment, in which his depression and anxiety issues were exacerbated, played a significant role in his termination.
Stringer is far from alone. According to Forbes, untreated depression among employees cost employers $44 billion annually in lost workdays. Let’s look at three main takeaways for managers to help ensure better fits for team leaders and employees.
1. Never underestimate how many employees are in the wrong job.
Most employees who avail themselves of corporate mental health programs use them because they were unhappy at work.
“Nine times out of 10, their unhappiness was due to a very poor fit between the employee’s personality and the work environment,” Marina London writes in her contribution to “Climbing out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness.” London found herself repeatedly recommending that those employees look for a more suitable position.
At a time when recruiting is more competitive than ever, what company can afford excessive turnover—especially when it could have been avoided? While performance issues are an obvious cause for concern, many of the “red flags” for unhappy workers are more subtle. They include:
- Becoming more withdrawn socially
- Lacking energy and motivation
- Being more easily distracted or stressed
- Experiencing more instances of anger than in the past
- Showing changes in outward appearance
2. Don’t overlook potential solutions.
Every workplace has interruptions, of course. In our example case of Stanley Stringer, they were endless at a firm he said was an otherwise pleasant place to work. The problem was that it was a little too exuberant for him. Multitudes of coworkers would stop by his cubicle area each day. “Cubicles were in close proximity, and with concentration issues, the continual disturbances were very difficult to cope with,” Marina wrote. “When you are depressed, everything is an effort. That includes socializing.”
There were some slower, less stressful and quieter work environments at this firm, but when Stringer talked to human resources about working elsewhere, he was told the company was not in the habit of providing “lateral transfers.” In other words, the new job had to be a promotion, not one that involved similar work. As a result of “staying put,” Stringer was terminated less than a year later, and the company lost a punctual, hardworking employee because it would
not bend its rules to move him elsewhere in the organization.
3. Take the time to help ensure a good match from the start.
Determining whether a candidate can do the job is an important part of any job interview, but too often the discussion ends there. As our example shows, a reporter who is good at writing is not enough. If the individual is skilled at writing in-depth stories, they will be a poor fit at a newspaper where the flexibility to cover fires and accidents is stressed over lengthier articles. If the position requires working various shifts or schedules, but the individual prefers steady, regular hours, the job is not likely to work out. Probing questions that go beyond the nuts and bolts of a résumé or application can be very revealing. Ask: “What types of jobs have you enjoyed the most? The least?” Taking extra time to screen an applicant is time well spent.
It’s true that there is no perfect job. That said, when it comes to selecting a work environment, the more a candidate knows themselves, the better the choices they will make. But job fit remains a two-way street. It is still vital for an employer to learn the person’s wants and needs, strengths and weaknesses. Staff attrition is inevitable, but a better understanding of job culture will go a long way toward reducing turnover.
