An inspiring leader, friendly, helpful colleagues and an organisation that suits you: without all three, it is hard to stay engaged. You only become truly engaged when you fit well with your environment. In this article, we look at one of the most important conditions for that: organisational fit.
What is organisational fit?
Organisational fit, called person-organisation fit or P-O fit in research, is about how well someone fits with the organisation they work for. Values play a big role in this: do you find important what the organisation finds important? Research into P-O fit assumes that employee behaviour is determined by the interaction between the person and their environment.
People have a natural tendency to choose an organisation they fit with well. The feeling of belonging is strongest when you notice that you share your values with the people around you.
What does the research say?
Amy Kristof-Brown, Ryan Zimmerman and Erin Johnson combined the results of a large number of studies on fit at work in one meta-analysis. It shows that a good fit between employee and organisation is strongly related to job satisfaction, commitment to the organisation and the wish to stay. There is also a link with performance, but it is weaker. Kristof-Brown et al.
Jennifer Chatman followed 171 new auditors at eight large American accounting firms. Employees whose values matched those of their firm well settled in faster, were more satisfied and stayed longer. Chatman
So a good organisational fit means that people enjoy their work more, feel more connected to the organisation and stay longer. Exactly the conditions in which work engagement can grow.
Why is organisational culture so important?
Organisational culture is the set of norms, values and behaviours that the people in an organisation share. It is the culture employees need to fit in with. Positive dynamics in an organisation help people perform better.
"Without a fitting culture, embraced by every employee, the effectiveness of employees within an organisation will soon decline. In the rapidly changing era we live in now, no organisation has certainty, and stability is more a form of stagnation than the goal of steadiness. Without a fitting culture, the chance that an organisation will go under is great, very great."
That is what Prof. Dr. Bas Kodden writes in his book De kunst van duurzaam presteren (The art of sustainable performance, in Dutch).
Also read: the difference between satisfied and engaged employees.
What really attracts employees?
Companies that consistently make a profit and earn above-average income are seen as successful. But does everyone want to work for such a company? For most employees, there are more important drivers than profit, turnover or salary. Loyalty can't be bought. Opportunities for development, growth, recognition, autonomy and responsibility, and a pleasant working environment weigh more heavily for many. That fits with self-determination theory, which holds that every person needs autonomy, competence and relatedness. Self-Determination Theory
How do you ensure a good fit as an employer?
- Know what you stand for. Make your mission, values and higher goal clear, so people can judge whether they fit in.
- Be honest when recruiting. Show candidates what things are really like, including the less attractive sides. A good fit starts with a realistic picture.
- Select on values too. Don't just look at knowledge and experience, but also at what someone finds important in work.
- Pay attention to onboarding. Help new employees get to know the culture and pair them with colleagues who live the values.
- Live the values. A culture doesn't exist on paper, but in the behaviour of managers and colleagues.
How do you check whether you fit as an employee?
- Ask yourself what you really find important in work, and whether the organisation finds that important too.
- During job interviews, pay attention to how people treat each other and ask for examples.
- Do you notice that you constantly have to work against the culture? Discuss it with your manager. Sometimes you can adapt your work so that it fits better, for example with job crafting.
Look for your reason for existing
One of the most important factors in an organisation's success is the norms and values people share. With a clear higher goal, the purpose of the organisation, you keep people motivated. Show what you stand for and find employees who fit with it. That is how you create and retain work engagement in your organisation. Read more in purpose gives your work value.
Do you want to know how well your people fit and how engaged they are? You can measure it with the Employee Engagement Survey.
