by Kevin Tetter

Created on: February 17, 2009

Good employees are in abundance, as long as potential employee is a good match for the position. In this case, the aspiring "good employee" may not be the most well educated, or even the most knowledgeable about the general operations of the bigger company picture. What is important is that the potential employee can do the job he or she is being considered for, and with each job being unique, individual position assessments have to be made. That said, there are more general criteria that a possible employee can be held to, as well as pitfalls that he or she may be unaware of.

Every company has what is called a "corporate culture", that is a set of values and traditions that make up the character of a particular company. If a person is considered a poor fit into a company's corporate culture, then the likelihood they will integrate successfully will be in question. "The boss" may feel that the individual, even though qualified on paper, may not ascribe, or even agree with the environment, the policies, or even the personalities within the company.

There may also be the problem of over qualification. Sure, a person may be qualified for a particular position, but how long will they stay if the job is below their level of expertise? High turnover can be expensive for a company, and the boss has to factor that in his decision. The question also arises as to the motivational level of the person who is overqualified for the job. A minimal effort is not usually what a company is looking for.

There may also be a situation where a person is qualified, motivated, and eager to do the best they can do-for themselves. Many companies depend on employees working together, or working in teams, essentially complementing each other's work. If a person has a single-minded goal of advancing their own agenda, then a rift between the employee and the company may result. Someone who is out for themselves may not necessarily have the company's best interests at heart. This could potentially open the company up to a theft, or on a lesser scale, mis-appropriation of company info, to the benefit of the highest bidder.

On a personal level, a well-qualified individual may be perceived as a threat to some company employees. If those employees happen to be the ones with the power of hiring and firing, then the chances of that well qualified employee being hired is slim to none. Those are just animals protecting their territory. Are we not animals? We've evolved over the eons, but the animal still lurks inside. There could also be issues of race, gender, even appearance. This is a pitfall that many applicants have fallen victim to, but may never realize it.

It all comes full circle. The potential good employee must be a good fit within the corporate culture. That is a subjective thing though, and someone who may be a poor fit for company X may just be what company Y is looking for.

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