SURVEY REPORT NOVEMBER 2013

VIETNAM TALENT RECRUITMENT TRENDS - JOB FIT OR CULTURAL FIT?

Acknowledgement
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Le & Associates would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have made this research and
resulting report “VIETNAM TALENT RECRUITMENT TRENDS – JOB FIT OR CULTURAL FIT?” possible.
Firstly we would like to thank all of those individuals who took part in the survey. Sharing your views with
us during this process has allowed us to further our understanding of your talent recruitment activity.
Secondly L&A would like to express deep thank to the various associations who helped us bring this
research project to organizations and individuals throughout the nation, namely:
• The Youth Businessmen Associations Ho Chi Minh City (YBA HCM)
• The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam)
• The Vietnam Human Resource Club (VNHR Club)
• The Can Tho Business Association (CBA)
• The Quang Trung Software City Development Corp. (QTSC)
• The Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park J.V., Co., Ltd. (VSIP)
Finally, we would like to express our special gratitude to The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce in Ho Chi
Minh City (VCCI-HCMC) for your partnership, your generous support and your expertise contributed to
make this research alive
Introduction
 SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013
Research Framework
“It’s not the people the biggest cost for a company, it’s the WRONG PEOPLE”.
Accurate employee selection decisions have never
been more important to organizational success.
Organizations need quality staff who can operate in
an environment of increasing complexity and change.
Hiring the wrong person for the job can be costly.
The time and expenses associated with advertising,
interviewing candidates, together with the negative
long-term financial and non-financial implications of
hiring the wrong person, make finding and hiring the
right person critical. According to a 2012 poll conducted
by CareerBuilder, 41% of participating companies in the
USA had experienced a cost of at least $25,000 per
single bad hire, while 24% had incurred $50,000 for a
single bad hire. The cost includes loss of productivity
and time, cost to recruit and train new employee, and
employee morale being affected.
So what is involved in finding the right person? A
meta-analysis by Kristof Brown (from 2005) reported
that employees who fit well with their organization,
coworkers, and supervisor: had greater job satisfaction,
identified more with their company, were more likely to
remain with their organization, were more committed,
www.l-a.com.vn | 4
showed superior job performance. In the other hand,
early this year, a worldwide survey of 500 recruiters from
54 countries, conducted by The Cubiks International,
found that over half of respondents said they had
rejected candidates based on Cultural Fit. These data
clearly demonstrate the importance of hiring based on
Cultural Fit as a global trend.
In October 2013, Le & Associates (L&A) and VCCI-
HCMC jointly conducted the national survey on “Talent
Recruitment Trends – Job Fit or Cultural Fit”. This survey
asked participants about their experiences and opinions
of Cultural and Job Fit and what their organization’s
practices are in relation to these areas.
Over time, organizations have become skilled at
measuring Job Fit, but we wanted to investigate how
they evaluate Cultural Fit and how this relates to Job
Fit. Alongside this we asked questions about how
organizational culture is defined as well as whether
employers use Cultural Fit as one of their criteria in
selection processes.
 SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013
What differentiate
Cultural Fit from
Job Fit?
According to HR expert, book author Susan M.
Heathfield, Job Fit is a concept that explains whether the
intersection between an employee’s strengths, needs
and experience, and the requirements of a particular
job and work environment - match - or not. When the
two interests match, an employee and your organization
experience a good Job Fit.
While Cultural Fit is best understood when you consider
it within the context of your organization’s culture and
how your organization’s culture was formed. A potential
employee may express and exhibit the characteristics,
language, and values that exist within the current
organizational culture - or not. You want to hire only
candidates whose belief and behavior systems appear
congruent with your organizational culture.
The candidate whose values, beliefs, outlook and
behavior is congruent with those existing within the
current organization is likely to be a good Cultural Fit for
the organization. An employee who is a good Cultural
Fit works well in the existing workplace environment.
Employees who fail to fit within the environment
generally leave to find a work environment or culture
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which is more congruent with their own values and
beliefs.
One of the key concepts is “Culture”. There are many
definitions about culture. One concept, also provided by
Susan M. Heathfield makes things clearer as below:
Culture is the environment that surrounds you at
work all of the time. Culture is a powerful element that
shapes your work enjoyment, your work relationships,
and your work processes. But, culture is something that
you cannot actually see, except through its physical
manifestations in your work place.
In many ways, culture is like personality. In a person, the
personality is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying
assumptions, interests, experiences, upbringing, and
habits that create a person’s behavior.
Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying
assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a
group of people. Culture is the behavior that results
when a group arrives at a set of - generally unspoken
and unwritten - rules for working together.
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The “New Selection Model”

The Traditional Selection Process is based on an old
paradigm. Statistics and experience suggest that other
factors need to be considered when selecting talent
than just those represented in the traditional model. It no
longer does an adequate job of supporting a selection
process that works.
In the existing model, a candidate’s abilities usually
receive more attention and weight than his or her
personality. The traditional model does not directly take
the Energy (the presence of physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual looks and feels) or the Character (trust,
beliefs, value) of the candidate or the Culture of the
organization into consideration.
In reality, there are two different types of company
needs that can significantly alter the profile of a
talent whose abilities and personality and energy best
matches up with them — executional needs (such as
operating processes, discipline, delivering timely results,
restructuring, cost-containment…) and directional
needs (including visioning, mission creation, strategies,
organization development, and more).
Historically, needs are usually expressed in job
specifications as they are perceived to exist rather than
based on current research or hard data. They are also
usually expressed in terms of outcomes rather than
actions required.
There are many cultures in any work setting: The culture
of the larger society and the culture of the organization,
along with the subcultures of the team that the leader
leads and that of the team on which the leader must
play a role as a member must be considered.
The “New Selection Model”, also called The Match-Fit
Model, developed by Crenshaw Associates, provides a
construct where previously there was only an informal
set of vague, often interchangeable terms and undefined
concepts.
The Match-Fit Model redefines the factors that
determine what makes a good match (abilities and
personality) and the extent to which a person (their
personality and character) really fits into a given
situation. It not only permits analysis and redesign of
the Traditional Selection Process, but it calls for it.

C ENERGY CHARACTER C
A A
N N
D D PERSONALITY
I ABILITIES PERSONALITY I ABILITIES CHARACTER
T
A
T
A & ENERGY
T T
E E

MATCH FIT
MATCH FIT
C
O C ORG. Culture
M
P
O NEEDS
A
N
NEEDS M
P
Leader’s Org Boss’s Org
A Executional Needs
Y N
Y
CULTURE Directional Needs Country Social culture

The Traditional Selection Model The Match-Fit Model

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Demographics
We received 326 responses to the survey from participants throughout the country. The respondents represent 320 organizations currently doing business in Vietnam. Our
survey respondents came from a broad variety of business functions, company sizes, industries, providing a sample that is a good representation of the national workforce. The
data we collected therefore will be of great interest to HR professionals nationwide.

Retail/Wholesale 6%

Health & Pharmacy 4%

Hospitality 2%

Banking & Finance 9%

IT/Telecommunication 14%

Professional Services 19%

FMCG 10%

Construction/Real Estate 9%

Oil/Mining 1%

Education 4%

Investment 2%

Transportation/Logistic 3%

Automobile 1%

Agriculture 3%

Mechanicals 4%

Textiles 2%

Other 7%

0 5% 10% 15% 20%

Industry
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11%
16% < 100 Employees

100 - < 200 Employees

17%
22 % 200 - < 500 Employees

500 - < 1000 Employees

34 %
>1000 Employees

Organizational Size

9% 10% General Manager/Director

15% Executive 15%
Department Director
Hiring/Recruiting
51% 49% 51%
18% 49%
20% Department Manager
General HR
26%
50% Other ( Non HR )
Supervisor

1% 37% Staff

Other ( non HR )

General HR Participant’s Job Function Supervisor Participant’s Job/ Director

General Manager Level
Hiring / Recruiting Department Manager Staffs
Executive Department Director
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About Le & Associates

Founded in 2001, with twelve years operating in the field of developing high quality human resources in Vietnam, Le & Associates (L&A) is proud to be clients’ strategic HR partner
in implementing the best investment solutions in businesses’ human capital. With deep understanding of business culture, practices and law as well as the experience dealing
with most of the multinational companies in Vietnam, we have come up with sustainable methods to effectively connect business strategy and HR systems.
L&A is unique in being a one-stop provider for Human Capital solutions aligning with your business strategy. Our services include:
• Human Capital & Organizational Development Consulting
• Assessment Center
• Coaching & Training
• Executive Search and Selection
• Staffing & Outsourcing
Our clients, both local and foreign, of different industries, have been satisfied with our customized services to overcome their challenges in human resources management and
development. They could count on us to maximize their return on human capital investment.
Our dynamic team, with rich experience and updated knowledge in international and domestic business practices, is committed to delivering the professional services expected
of them.
Key Findings
 SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013
Recruitment for Job Fit in Organizations
• Nearly two third (64%) of respondents think that
the Job Descriptions used by their organization
are not a good reflection of reality.
• 82% of respondents said that their organization
does not have clearly defined Job Descriptions.
• Competencies, Experience, and Ability to learn
are the top 3 factors that the recruiters consider
for the perception of Job Fit to their organization.
• Face-to-face interviews, Technical test/
assessment, and Behavioral test/assessment are
the most effective methods for assessing Job Fit.
Competencies
Experience
Ability to learn
Skill
Qualification
Personal Value
Flexibility
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Historically the primary focus in recruitment processes of making a bad hiring decision. We were interested in
has been on Job Fit; the extent to which an employee’s finding out about the tools and methods employers use
competencies, work experience and needs align with for measuring Job Fit and how useful they feel these
the requirements of a particular job. are.
As a central part of the recruitment process, it is Survey results reveal the top 3 factors that the recruiters
important that the approach to assessing Job Fit is as will look at to identify perception of Job Fit to their
efficient and effective as possible. Thorough, robust organization, which are Competencies, Experience, and
assessments will offer employers vital knowledge Ability to learn.
about a candidate, enabling them to minimize the risk
192
148
142
134
120
59
47
Factors that attribute to the perception of Job Fit
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2% 1%

Job Descriptions 18%

8% 5%

17%
After identifying the perception, when assessing Job Fit 51% 49% 51%
34% 49%
it is important to know exactly what the role demands.
This means that the first step in assessing Job Fit is 57% 58%
establishing a comprehensive Job Description for the
role in question.
In general the survey results show that NOT many
organizations are using clear Job Descriptions that Poor Well
Totally disagree
Strongly disagree Agree
Somewhat agree Very poor Acceptable
give an accurate representation of what a role entails. Disagree Strongly Agree Very well Very poor

Only 18% of respondents said that their organization Acceptable

Somewhat disagree Totally agree Poor Well
uses clearly defined Job Descriptions. Among these, Poor

nearly two third (64%) of respondents think that the Job Very well
Descriptions used by their organization are not a good
reflection of reality.
Percentage of agreement that their organization is Levels of Job Descriptions being used as
using clear Job descriptions reflecting reality

There are many possible reasons why Job Descriptions
may not reflect the role accurately. One is that there
can sometimes be a disparity between the people who
write Job Descriptions and the managers who work
in the relevant business functions. It can be the case
that managers go to HR for standard Job Descriptions
that are kept on file and use them without reviewing
and updating the content. In particular, inaccurate role
descriptions are used when HR and hiring managers do
not have time to discuss a Job Description and make
sure it is relevant before the recruitment process begins.
The Job Description, also called the position description, search specification, candidate profile, or job/position
specification, should, according to the creators of the Harvard Essentials Guide: Hiring and Keeping the Best
People, include the following:
• The primary responsibilities and tasks involved in the job
• The background characteristics needed to perform the job
• The personal characteristics required
• The key features of your organization’s culture
• The boss’s managerial style and its implications for an effective working relationship
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Measuring Job Fit

Once Job Descriptions have been defined, a rigorous

process needs to be put in place to evaluate how far 350 Most used Effective to very effective Somewhat effective to not effective
a candidate matches the requirements it sets out. Our 311
survey asked which tools respondents’ organizations
300
use for this, and the most frequently used (from most
to least) were: 250 248
250
1.Face-to-face interviews 226
218
2.CVs that include qualifications and experience 205
200
3.Technical test/assessment
163
4.Reference check 150 158
150 142
5.Behavioral test/assessment
116
Our survey results demonstrate that although these 95 98
100
methods are the most commonly used, they are not
71 73
necessarily perceived as the most useful. The graph
below shows the 3 methods rated most effective by 50
respondents: Face-to-face interviews, Technical test/
assessment, Behavioral test/assessment. These
0
include Behavioral test/assessment, which significantly
is not among the most used tools. In the other hand, Face to face interview CVs that include Technical test / Reference check Behavioral test /
qualifications and assesments assessments
CVs, the second most used method, and Reference experience
check have in fact been rated as the least effective.
Methods being used to assess Job Fit
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Recruitment for Cultural Fit in Organizations

• The management and its style of handling the employees, Vision/ Goals/ Objectives,
and Work style are top 3 factors that attribute to the perception of Culture in their
organization.
• The managers, The CEO, and Employees are top 3 stakeholders that can most
impact their Organizational Culture.
• 59% of respondents agree that their organization have a clear definition of
Organizational Culture, but only 29% of them think that the definition well reflects reality.
• Work style, Leadership style, and Value are top 3 factors that attribute to the
perception of Cultural Fit to their organization.
• Most respondents (79%) said they think measuring Cultural Fit is important while
only 30% of respondents said their organization measures Cultural Fit in recruitment
processes frequently.
• Behavioral interview, Behavioral test/assessment, and Informal meeting with
colleagues/ team members are the most effective methods for assessing Cultural Fit.
• 51% of respondents have poor recruitment decisions based on employee’s lack of
Cultural Fit.
• 61% of respondents believe that despite being difficult to measure, Values should be
included in the recruitment process
• 67% of respondents believe recruiting for Culture Fit does not create an organization
of clones and lack of diversity

Historically Job Fit has been the most important factor in recruitment processes. Although it continues to play a major role, many recruiters are placing a new emphasis on the candidate’s
fit with their organization’s values and beliefs. This ‘Cultural Fit’ is progressively becoming an established part of the recruitment process in many major organizations.
 SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013 www.l-a.com.vn | 15

What is Organizational Culture?

Organizational Culture has its theoretical origins in sociology and anthropology. These sciences are critical in helping
us to understand societal groups. They also help us understand why people act the way they do, because culture has a
significant effect on human behavior.
According to Professor Edgar Henry Schein’s model of organizational culture (MIT Sloan School of Management),
identifying three distinct levels in organizational cultures:

The three levels refer to the degree to which the different cultural phenomena are The Management and its style of
handling the employees 221
visible to the observer:
Artefacts include any tangible, overt or verbally identifiable elements in an Vision / Goals / Objectives 215
organization. Architecture, furniture, dress code, office jokes, all exemplifies Work style 148
organizational artifacts. Artifacts are the visible elements in a culture and they can
be recognized by people not part of the culture. Values
136
Espoused Values are the organization’s stated values and rules of behavior. It is Professionall opportunities and
advancement 74
how the members represent the organization both to themselves and to others.
This is often expressed in official philosophies and public statements of identity. It Belief 67
can sometimes often be a projection for the future, of what the members hope to
Type of the business 56
become. Examples of this would be employee professionalism, or a “family first”
mantra. Trouble may arise if espoused values by leaders are not in line with the Custom
25
general assumptions of the culture.
Archietecture , aesthetic, and
Shared Basic Assumptions are the deeply embedded, taken-for-granted atmosphere 21
behaviors, which are usually unconscious, but constitute the essence of culture.
These assumptions are typically so well integrated in the office dynamic that they Factors that attribute to the perception of Organizational Culture
are hard to recognize from within.
In our survey, we asked respondents to indicate the top 3 factors that attribute to Apparently, those indicated elements all belong to the Artifacts level, which are visible. The
the perception of their Organizational Culture. The results are: The management deeper levels of cultural factors do not have enough attention yet.
and its style of handling the employees, Vision/ Goals/ Objectives, and Work style.
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How is Organizational Culture defined?

Our survey revealed that although there’s a majority of 4% Do not have any
respondents (59%) agree that their organization have a 8% 12% definition at all
3%

clear definition of Organizational Culture, but only 29% 9% Strongly disagree Very poor
25% 10%
of them think that the definition well reflects reality. 51%
51% 49% Disagree
51% 49% Poor
The results suggest that employers who put in place Agree
32% Acceptable
definitions of their culture generally take the time to
Strongly agree 46%
ensure that these are well aligned with the real culture Well
that exists within their organization Very well

Percentage
Strongly disagree of agreement
Agree that their organization have a Level of the defination of Organization Culture reflect
Disagree
clear definition of Organization Culture
Strongly Agree
reality
Poor

Also, survey results reveal top 3 stakeholders that can The Managers 271
most impact your Organizational Culture, which are:
The CEO 243

Employees 182

The Founder 177

Clients and external parties 85

The shareholder 20

Stakeholders that can most impact Organizational Culture

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Measuring Cultural Fit

Although such a large proportion of respondents said 6%
4%
8% Not important Never
that it is important to measure Cultural Fit, our results 9%
15%
suggest that many organizations are yet to put in place Somewhat important Rarely
26%
the means for doing so. Most respondents (79%) said Important
24%
Sometimes
36%
they think measuring Cultural Fit is important while only
Very important Often
30% of respondents said their organization measures
35% 24%
Cultural Fit in recruitment processes frequently, and 9% Essential Always
even never measure Cultural Fit at their place.

The Importance of Recruiting for Cultural Fit to Frequency of Cultural Fit is assessed at
Organizations organizations

It is interesting to note that 30% of respondents who said their

Most used Effective to very effective Somewhat effective to not effective
organization does not have a clear definition of culture also said that
250 235
Cultural Fit is measured in the recruitment process (often to always).
This would suggest that the methods being used to assess Cultural Fit in
these organizations may not be very accurate, as it is difficult to apply an 200 186
176 173
objective measure without an accurate, clear definition of what you are 166
assessing for. Without this definition in place it is possible that recruiters 155
145 145 148
150
in these organizations may be using their ‘gut feeling’ to evaluate Cultural 124
Fit.
94
Of the respondents that said Cultural Fit is measured during their 100 86
organization’s recruitment process, the vast majority favored using face-
to-face interviews to evaluate it. The graph below shows the most used
50
methods for assessing Cultural Fit and how effective each method is.
When respondents were asked which tools they thought were the most
0
useful for assessing Cultural Fit, again face-to-face interviews came out
on top. These were followed closely by Behavioral test/assessment. This Behavioral Interview Informal meeting with Behavioral test Reference check
colleagues/team members / assesment
reinforces the suggestion that respondents prefer using assessment
methods that are linked with personality and require personal contact Methods being used to assess Cultural Fit
with a candidate.
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Impact of poor Cultural Fit decision

The importance of recruiting for Cultural Fit is further
supported by the impact of poor Cultural Fit decisions.
Along with helping to reduce absenteeism and turnover,
assessing for fit also helps organizations increase
employee satisfaction and morale, which leads to better
performance and productivity. Motivated employees
are more likely to take charge of their own performance,
seek ways to improve processes, products and services
and contribute positively to their organization’s bottom
line success. Considering that job dissatisfaction is
the leading cause of voluntary turnover and is directly
49% 51%
linked to lower productivity and morale it makes sense
to consider and assess for fit during the recruitment
process.
The research confirms the impact of Cultural Fit. We
asked respondents to indicate the percentage of poor
recruitment decisions that can be attributed to poor
Cultural Fit and those that can be attributed to poor Job
Fit with results show that poor recruitment decisions
that can be attributed to poor Job Fit are nearly Poor recruitment Decision attributed to Poor Job Fit
equivalent to poor Cultural Fit.

Poor Recruitment Decision attributed to Poor Cultural Fit

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Challenges in Recruitment for Cultural Fit

If organizations recognize the importance of assessing for Cultural Fit, why do so
many not assess it and/or employ measurable methods to deliver positive outcomes?
The research highlights a number of factors that may be contributing to this situation.
• While HR professionals and recruiting specialists may be versed in practices supporting
the assessment of Cultural Fit, the results suggest that hiring managers may not possess
the same capability. 67% of respondents believe that organizations and hiring managers
do not assess for Cultural Fit because they don’t know how, suggesting a need for more
training and education in recruitment practices such as behavioral interviewing, behavioral
assessment tools…
• According to respondents, today’s complex and fast paced business environment
appears to be putting pressure on managers to make decisions quickly and without due
consideration of issues such as Cultural Fit. 75% of respondents believe that hiring
managers are often in too much of a hurry to adequately consider and assess for culture
fit and 59% of respondents believe that hiring managers that are under pressure to fill
positions will often ignore Cultural Fit.
• The War for Talent has been well documented and according to respondents the pressure
of candidate short markets appears to be impacting the quality of recruitment decisions
with 50% of respondents agreeing that tight labor markets force hiring managers to ignore
Cultural Fit during the recruitment process.
• Despite the availability of various tools and systematic processes, 75% of respondents
believe that most people rely on gut feel when assessing candidates for culture fit. Once
again this suggests that while organizations may be using methods such as behavioral
interview questions, many may not possess the skills to adequately evaluate responses.
The pressure placed on hiring managers is real and undoubtedly impacts the
capacity of many managers to undertake activities such as recruitment. On the flip
side, the cost of poor recruitment decisions from a financial, productivity and personal
perspective is significant.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Organizations and hiring managers do not assess for Cultural 3% 30% 62% 5%
Fit because they don’t know how
Hiring managers are often in too much of a hurry to adequate- 3% 22% 63% 12%
ly assess for Cultural Fit
Hiring managers are afraid to ask questions about Cultural Fit 12% 52% 30% 6%
because they may be perceived as discriminatory
Hiring managers that are under pressure to fill positions will 8% 33% 50% 9%
often ignore Cultural Fit
Tight labor markets force hiring managers to ignore Cultural 10% 39% 43% 7%
Fit during the recruitment process
Hiring managers would hire someone who is not quite right, 21% 48% 29% 2%
rather than go back to the start of the recruitment process
Most people rely on gut feel when assessing candidates for
4% 21% 58% 17%
Cultural Fit
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Talent recruitment trends

• HR guru Dave Ulrich gives his 3C mantra of
• The “portrait” of Talent in respondents’ organization is the one who: competence, committed and contribution on the
- contributes the most to their organization talent cafeteria.

- has strong technical competencies (hard skills) • In this talent equation, these three terms are
multiplicative, not additive. If any one is missing,
- has strong workplace competencies (soft skills)
the other two will not replace it. A low score in
• Managers and professionals, Senior managers/directors, and Services (customer, personal and sales) are competence will not ensure talent even when the
top 3 categories of position that available in organization’s talent development planning. employee is engaged and contributing.
• Low quality of candidates applying for posts, Limited hiring budget, and Weak employment branding are top • Talented employees must have skills, wills and
3 challenges that occur in their Talent recruitment process. purposes; they must be capable, committed and
• 68% of respondents said that they would choose a candidate who has a high level of Cultural Fit rather than contributing. HR leaders can engage their general
those who might have a better degree of Job Fit but are not so well fit with the culture. managers to identify and improve each of these
three dimensions to respond to the talent clarion
call.
• Just indicates how HR functions in the organization
plays the most critical role of revisiting and
Contribute the most organizations 194 reviewing the competencies and talent required to
perform in organizations. HR role need not end with
Has strong workplace competencies ( Soft skills ) 182
defining the competencies required for talents to
Has strong technical competencies ( Hard skills ) 171 give superior performance, it needs to be revisited
and reviewed keeping in mind the new challenges
Has strong commitment of dedication to organizations 152 and business requirement. Performance in the
long run can be sustained and competencies can
Has a natural ability to excel a duty or action 141 be developed only if the 3C’s are present.

Has many unique, authentic, genuine ideas 138

Talent
 SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013 www.l-a.com.vn | 21
Managers and professional 266

Managers and professionals, Senior managers/ Senior managers/directors 198

directors, and Services (customer, personal and
Services ( customer. personal & sales ) 148
sales) are categories of position that available in
organization’s talent development planning. Administrative / Secrectarial & Technical 59

Manual / Craft worker 30

Categories of position that are available in organization’s talent development planning

Low quality of candites applying for post 272

Low quality of candidates applying for posts, Limited
hiring budget, and Weak employment branding are Limited hiring budgets 193
top 3 challenges that occur in their Talent recruitment
Weak employment branding 134
process.
Externally, the war for talent continues to intensify and Too few applicants 127
the supply of good quality candidates remains tight.
It is an employee’s market, and if the current business Canditates withdraw their acceptance of job offers 93
environment is anything to go by, it will continue to be
so for a long time especially at the manager end of the Too many applications for jobs 69
market – where it most counts. The tight labor market
Canditates are unwilling to relocate 49
often leads hiring managers to make decisions quickly
and choose individuals who may not be right. People failling to appear for interviews 41

Challenger that occur in Talent recruiment process

68% of respondents said that they would choose a 3%

candidate who has a high level of Cultural Fit rather 11%

Strongly disagree
than those who might have a better degree of Job Fit
but are not so well fit with the culture 29% Disagree

Agree
Despite being difficult to measure, values should be 57%
Strongly agree
included in the recruitment process

I would choose a canditate who has a high level of Cultural Fit rather than those who might have a better degree of
Job Fit but are not so well fit with the culture
Conclusion and
Recommendations
SURVEY REPORT | NOVEMBER 2013 www.l-a.com.vn | 23

Overall, the respondents to our survey rated both Job
Fit and Cultural Fit as good predictors of performance.
Recruitment and selection process is slowly gravitating
towards hiring based on core Values (Cultural Fit)
rather than just technical competencies.
One of the reasons for this trend may be attributed to
Gen Y entering the labor market who typically stays
at a job for about two years and prioritize meaningful
work over pay as well as working for a company that
is aligned with their own values. This means by clearly
defining your organization’s values and integrating
them in your organization, you are able to attract
employees whose personal values are in alignment
with yours. Your core values may also naturally screen
out non cultural fit candidates who will not apply for
the positions since they do not share the same values
as your organization. Hiring using core values is very
crucial for start-up, small and medium companies;
since they usually lack brand recognition and
longevity, by clearly communicating the core values
and culture, these companies are able to share their
visions and dreams to potential candidates. Again, you
want people who believe in your product, vision, and
values because these are the employees who will be
intrinsically motivated to work at full capacity towards
your organization’s objectives.

There are various ways organizations can embed and assess fit as part of their recruitment and selection process:
• Articulate the value proposition up front - Clearly and realistically articulate the attributes of the organization
to prospective talents. This increases the likelihood of attracting the ‘right’ people in the first place. Your
recruitment advertising should communicate a clear message about the job and the organization. In today’s
workplace knowledge, intellectual capital, individual and organizational qualities represent the competitive
value proposition for most companies.
• Use objective assessment tools to help applicants self screen. These enable applicants to better understand
the dynamics of a particular job and organization and make decisions early about suitability for the position.
As such many applicants may self screen themselves out of the recruitment process.
• Describe values in behavioral terms and use behavioral-based questions to assess suitability. Alternatively,
identify competencies that align with the core values and ensure that interview questions are constructed to
address these.
• Ensure all managers and individuals are adequately trained in recruitment practices. This should include,
behavioral interviewing, motivational fit concepts, and evaluation of recruitment data.
Executive Search &
Selection Services
 www.l-a.com.vn

Recruitment for Job Fit and Cultural Fit

Our Methodology
Recruitment for Job Fit and Cultural Fit is Le &Associates’s
recruiting philosophy and the key to a remarkably high
success rate.

and Approach By proactivity, systematic search, assessment for job

fit and cultural fit, we find and recruit the best possible
executive candidate that fit with the organization.
“Over half of poor recruitment decisions are attributed
The objective is to separate the exceptional from
to poor Cultural fit” – Vietnam Talent Recruitment Trends
the average performer and assess them against the
survey in 2013, conducted by L&A & VCCI, has revealed.
needs of the position and the client organization. The
client obtains the consultants’ full commitment, focus
and resources and can expect regular feedback and
consultation through-out the search process.

Our Practices Consultants’ Background

L&A ESS Services focus on 3 distinct search practices
throughout the region which cover core corporate
functions include Executive Management, Sales,
Marketing, Human Resources, Finance…:
- FMCG
- Retail/ Wholesales
- Industrial Machineries
L&A ESS consultants are experienced professionals,
some with successful careers in management and
management consulting. We are engaged to advise
both clients and candidates ensuring achievement of
win-win solutions.
We provide the client with comprehensive consulting
and reporting (resume, references, interview,
assessment, reports).This requires minimal Human
Resources and General Management time investment
until interview process begins.
 www.l-a.com.vn

Service Offer
Our Distinctions Benefit to Clients Service Procedure

SPEED •
•
Speed is the key success factor
Huge candidate database of 12 year
• Full and rapid assistance in the
recruitment of middle and senior
• Investigation and solution
development
EXECUTIVE enrichment executives for key positions. • Talent research and interview
SEARCH • Providing personalized consultancy • Fill senior positions which are seldom • Present shortlist and preference check
advertised.
SERVICE to clients and candidates for tailored review
solutions to specific requirements • Consulting of contract negotiations

RETAINED
• Placement and development of the right • Advanced Executive Assessments • Detailed briefing/ position and
leaders with double-guarantee “job fit & for “job fit & cultural fit” for candidate environment analysis

EXECUTIVE cultural fit” to minimize recruiter’s risk and the direct reporting line to ensure • Systematic market segmentation
and to enhance business performance objectivity
SEARCH • Present shortlist candidates and
• A Customized Development Plan for
SERVICE the successful candidate: coaching
preference check review

• 2-way assessments with:

and training to tune in your business
environment and to align with strategic
objectives
• An Extended Warranty Period to
ensure the successful placement and
to reduce your risk
1. Behavioral Assessment 2. Job Comparison
3. Team Assessment 4. 360° Feedback
• Consulting of contract negotiations
• Succession planning for 6 month period
For further enquiries, please contact:
Executive Search & Selection Department
Saigon 3 Building, 140 Nguyen Van Thu Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam
Tel: (84 -8) 3910 3311 - Ext: 132 Email: ess@l-a.com.vn Website: www.l-a.com.vn