The Scientific Method of Chemistry in the Workplace

Among the crazier, little-known holidays sits a jewel of a week that just about every company could stand to remember. The week of October 18 – 24 was National Chemistry Week, and though the American Chemical Society is referring to the science of chemistry with this week, HR pros, hiring managers, and recruiters should maybe consider a little celebration of their own next year.

Turn the HR Heat Up on Your Culture

High school chemistry was a world of fun and confusing wonders. The days that my teacher had Bunsen burners laid out were the days I knew my class would either eat lunch smelling of burnt toast or be scolded for nearly turning our classroom to ash. It was always a good time. Why? Because no matter where we ranked in the class, our common goal was clear: we wanted to create something awesome … with fire.

Similarly, your employees will have differences that will be more obvious — and stressful –some days than they are on others. The best way to counteract the problems that can arise from differing personalities is to continuously keep the company goals in sight while highlighting what each individual does to keep the company progressing forward. Businesses with effective communication are 50 percent more likely to have lower turnover rates, which sparks an engaged and passionate workforce. As we all know, passion burns brighter than any of the small problems that may arise.

Measure the Skills Before You Hire

Everyone is talking about cultural fit, and for good reason: sometimes, an employee, as talented as they are, won’t be successful on your team. Psychometric assessments are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies have made them a part of their recruitment processes. Psychometric tests eliminate the risk of allowing your gut or personal feelings to get in the way of making a great hire, but they also allow personality to be an important factor.

The best part of psychometric testing is that there are quite a few tests to choose from, and each varies in length and focus without losing any ease of use. In other words: there are enough trusted tests to ensure that you have the results you need.

Observe and Analyze Your Recruiting Process

Though some may disagree, observing and recording the changes over time, even though they were minute in our small bit of classroom time, was so interesting. As a recruiter or hiring manager, the window of time you have to decide if a candidate is the right fit for your company is small but so very important for the success of your hire. Because of this, it is pivotal that all tools and resources are used.

Social media is fair game, and you won’t be the only one using it. While you search for the perfect fit among throngs of social users, 73 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds found their last job via a social network. What’s more: 50 percent of hiring managers and HR professionals say that reviewing an applicant’s social media profiles is a great way to get a sense of how they would fit on your team.

This year’s National Chemistry Week theme was “The Sweet Side of Chemistry,” and how sweet it really is when a team has the right personality to experience little drama and a whole lot of success. Whether you’re the HR pro keeping employees moving in sync, the hiring manager employing the candidate, or the recruiter interviewing an applicant, you play a part in the flow of the workplace. With the right scientific method, you’ll have a repeatable process with little variance in outcomes. In other words, you just can’t fail.