Hiring the right people and getting them into the right roles is a lot of work, and we aren’t doing a very good job of it!
With average US employee turnover at 47.2 %/year, it’s clear we aren’t doing a great job of hiring the right people. Otherwise, turnover wouldn’t be pushing 50%.
Additionally, data from a Gallup survey states that 68.5% of employees are unhappy in their work, suggesting we aren’t very good at getting people into the right roles either!
It’s easy to imagine the consequences of unhappy employees. Unhappy employees don’t invest themselves in their or the organization’s success.
Gallup’s 2023 “State of the Global Workplace” report states that 59% of the global workforce consists of quiet quitters. These employees fulfill the bare minimum requirements of the job, putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary.
So, in general, we aren’t doing a good job of hiring the right people, which results in excessive turnover. Then, of those we do hire, we aren’t getting many of them into the right roles, so they are unhappy and not performing beyond the bare minimum to keep their jobs!
This is not a recipe for success in any organization!
Right People, Right Roles
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains this issue using a bus metaphor. He says that for an organization to be successful, we must first get the right people on the bus and then get those people in the right seats.
We must first hire the right people and then get them into the right roles. Obviously, hiring good people is the starting point, but that’s not enough. We also need to get those people into the right roles where they will be happy, satisfied, and productive, using their skill set to optimal advantage.
Right People, Wrong Seats
Sam is an example. A large non-profit organization hired him mainly because he had been a faithful and productive volunteer for years.
Now, Sam is fully engaged, happy, and excelling in his new role.
Susan is another example. She performed well in her role to the extent that she was considered for a promotion. When the promotion was given to someone else, she was moved into another role that was not a good fit. Susan’s performance suffered, and she was clearly unhappy. Eventually, she had the opportunity to move into a role that was a better fit for her skills, and now she is thriving.
As I worked with this non-profit, I noticed the same scenario played out repeatedly. The organization hired someone and placed them in a role that ultimately did not suit them well. They were unhappy in their role, and that manifested in mediocre performance.
Right People + Right Roles = Thriving Productive Employees
Can you imagine the impact on workplace productivity if the majority of employees were in roles in which they thrived, roles where they were happy, productive, and fully engaged? It’s not much of a leap to think organizations like this would be at the top of their industry peer groups, with the lowest employee turnover, the highest consumer satisfaction, and swelling profit margins!
Within the framework of placing individuals in roles where they can thrive, servant leadership emerges as a guiding principle. Servant leadership, modeled by Jesus, emphasizes leaders serving their team members with humility, empathy, and a focus on their well-being and growth.
Just as Jim Collins emphasized the importance of getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats, servant leaders prioritize understanding each individual’s strengths, passions, and needs. By adopting a servant leadership approach, leaders can facilitate open communication, provide support and mentorship, and create a culture where employees feel valued and empowered to excel in their roles.
Sam and Susan’s experiences vividly demonstrate the impact of servant leadership in fostering environments where individuals thrive and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s success. As Christian leaders, embracing servant leadership leads to happier and more productive teams and reflects the sacrificial love and servant-heartedness exemplified by Jesus.
Everyone Can Be Excellent at Something
Kim Scott points out in her book Radical Candor, “Everyone can be excellent at something!” And I believe her. As I see it, the challenge is for organizations to help people get into roles where they can be excellent. Too often, prospective employees grab any job they can to get in the door. Employers settle for mediocre performance from unhappy, unengaged employees in the wrong roles. They need to get those people into the right roles because everyone has unique strengths and skills and can excel at something. The trick is to get them into roles where they will thrive.
Kim’s goal as an executive at Google was to have 100% of her team doing exceptional work. So, when she viewed an employee as mediocre, she offered them the opportunity to work on projects they chose. If, after working on a project of their choosing, the employer still viewed the employee as mediocre, then and only then did they counsel them to seek other employment.
The genius in Kim’s approach is that she recognized that people would end up in the wrong roles and developed a strategy to help them find roles where they could thrive.
So, part of the solution to getting people into the right seats on the bus is to recognize that good people may need a chance to change seats.
Leverage Skills For the Kingdom
In the context of Christian leadership, it’s essential to recognize that each individual’s work is not merely a job but a calling—a part of their vocation and contribution to God’s kingdom. As leaders, we have a responsibility to help employees connect their professional roles with their faith and sense of purpose. By fostering environments where employees can align their work with their spiritual values and calling, we empower them to thrive and make meaningful contributions. This means going beyond traditional metrics of success and considering how each person’s unique talents and passions can be leveraged to serve both the organization’s mission and God’s purposes. Through prayerful discernment and intentional support, Christian leaders can create workplaces where employees find fulfillment, excellence, and alignment with their divine calling.
It’s Not All the Employer’s Responsibility
So yes, employers need to better recruit the right people and get them into the right roles. However, the employee owns a big part of the solution as well. Employees who are quiet quitting, just doing the bare minimum to keep their jobs, are robbing themselves of happiness and satisfaction for the sake of a paycheck.
For Christians, the idea of doing just the minimum to get by is unacceptable. Writing to the Colossians, the apostle Paul said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). As employees, yes, we report to a boss, but we are ultimately accountable to the Lord, not the person in the corner office.
Conclusion
The critical task of placing individuals in roles where they can thrive is paramount for organizational success. Leaders can cultivate environments where employees are engaged, productive, and fulfilled by adhering to the principles of hiring the right people and ensuring they are in the right roles. Servant leadership, exemplified by Jesus, is a guiding principle in this endeavor, emphasizing the importance of leaders serving their team members with humility, empathy, and a focus on their well-being and growth. As Christian leaders, we are responsible for recognizing the sacred nature of work as a calling from God and empowering employees to align their professional roles with their spiritual values and sense of purpose.
Action Steps
Here are actionable steps to implement the insights gained and foster a culture of purposeful hiring and role alignment within your organization.
- Conduct a thorough assessment of current hiring and role placement processes within your organization, identifying areas for improvement and alignment with the principles of servant leadership.
- Foster open dialogue and feedback mechanisms to allow employees to express their satisfaction levels with their current roles and identify any areas of misalignment.
- Develop mentorship and coaching programs to support employees in identifying their strengths, passions, and career goals and explore opportunities for role adjustments or development.
- Integrate biblical principles of excellence, service, and stewardship into organizational values and culture, reinforcing the idea of work as a calling and a means of glorifying God.
- Encourage regular reflection and prayer among both leaders and employees, seeking divine guidance and wisdom in decision-making processes related to hiring, role placement, and organizational culture.
Discussion Questions
To further reflect on the themes of wisdom-sharing and blessing others, consider these discussion questions either in a group setting or as part of a personal reflection exercise.
- How can organizations integrate the concept of servant leadership into their hiring and role placement processes?
- How do discernment and prayer contribute to ensuring individuals are placed in roles where they can thrive?
- How can leaders create a culture of openness and communication to facilitate employee satisfaction and role alignment discussions?
- What steps can employees take to proactively seek roles that align with their skills, passions, and values within an organization?
- How can Christian leaders leverage biblical principles to address workplace dissatisfaction and engagement?
More Articles
I have written several articles on human resource development. You can find them by typing “Human Resource Development” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are several of them.
- #454: What Six Things Do Smart Leaders Do to Minimize Burnout?
- #276: What One Thing Do the Best Leaders Do More Than Anyone Else?
- #272: 7 Things I Learned from My Impressive Class of Gen Z’s
- #250: Is Mentoring A Rewarding Strategic Choice Today?
- #220: It Turns Out You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you experienced the impact of people in roles that aren’t good fits for them? What was the effect on the organization? How did you deal with it?
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Category: Skills | Human Resource Development
