Hiring Tips: Team Sports Reveal Real "Cultural Fit" Candidates Better than Interviews, Says Kunal Shah of Cred
In the ever-evolving world of recruitment, identifying the right candidate for a job can be a daunting task. While traditional methods like interviews and resumes have been the norm for quite some time, a new approach is gaining popularity, thanks to the wisdom of Kunal Shah, co-founder of Cred. According to Shah, team sports can be an effective way to reveal a candidate’s true "cultural fit" and predict their success in a company.
In an era where company culture has become a major differentiator in attracting and retaining top talent, identifying the right candidate is crucial. However, traditional methods like interviews and resumes can be limiting in gauging a candidate’s fit with a company’s values and ethos. This is where team sports come in.
According to Shah, team sports provide a unique opportunity to assess a candidate’s social skills, communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution abilities – all of which are essential for success in a team-based work environment. "When a candidate has to work with a team to win a game, you get to see their ability to function under pressure, their ability to work with others, and their ability to adapt to changing circumstances," Shah explains.
Cultural fit is at the heart of what Shah believes is the key to a candidate’s long-term success in a company. "When a candidate is a good cultural fit, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and productive, which can lead to better results and a lower turnover rate," he says.
Shah’s approach is not without its skeptics, however. Some argue that team sports may be too unstructured and unpredictable to provide a reliable assessment of a candidate’s abilities. Others claim that the results may not be generalizable to a corporate setting.
Despite these concerns, proponents of this approach argue that it offers a more comprehensive picture of a candidate’s skills, traits, and values. "Traditional methods of recruitment and selection often focus on a candidate’s past achievements and technical skills," says Shah. "However, these don’t necessarily predict future performance or team success. By using team sports as a recruitment tool, you can get a better sense of how a candidate will perform in a company’s day-to-day environment."
In conclusion, Kunal Shah’s approach to using team sports to assess a candidate’s cultural fit may be unconventional, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way companies approach recruitment. By adopting this approach, organizations can gain a more nuanced understanding of a candidate’s abilities, values, and motivations, ultimately leading to more informed hiring decisions and a better fit for their company culture. As Shah so aptly puts it, "A candidate who shines in a team sport is a candidate who will thrive in a company."
