CULTURE FIT VS EXPERIENCE IN PRINT, PACKAGING AND SIGNAGE

It’s one of the most common crossroads in hiring.

Do you bring in someone with all the right experience, even if you’re not convinced they’ll fit the team?

Do you back the person who clearly matches your culture, knowing they might need a bit of support to grow into the role?

In print, packaging and signage, it comes up all the time. Technical skill matters. So does team fit. When you’re forced to choose, it’s culture that tends to win out in the long run.

In an ideal world, you’d have both. The skillset and the chemistry. The ambition and the attitude. More often than not though, it comes down to which one you’re willing to be flexible on.

The hires that stick tend to be the ones who feel right for the team — even if they’re not the finished article yet.

SKILLS MATTER. CULTURE KEEPS PEOPLE

You can look at a CV and see a history of solid experience.

They’ve worked on major rollouts. Managed teams. Hit targets. However, if the person behind the paper doesn’t gel with your people, it’s only a matter of time before things start to creak.

You’ll see small signs at first. Bit of friction. Lack of communication. A few grumbles from the wider team. Eventually, the problems build up and the relationship breaks down.

On the other hand, someone who clearly fits your values and brings the right mindset can go far. If they’re keen to learn, open to feedback, and want to do well, you can build on that. Especially in this industry, where ambition, graft and attitude still count for a lot.

FOR EMPLOYERS: BE CLEAR ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS

There’s always pressure to hire the person with the most experience. Especially when things are busy and you need someone who can hit the ground running.

There’s a difference between someone who’s done the job before and someone who still wants to do it well. If they’ve switched off or struggle to connect with your way of working, the experience doesn’t get you very far.

Before hiring, take a proper look at what your business actually needs. Are you after someone steady and dependable, or someone with the drive to step things up?

Whatever the answer, ensure the person fits your environment, not just the specifications.

FOR CANDIDATES: THINK BEYOND JOB TITLES

It’s easy to chase the next step. Bigger title. Better pay. New kit. But if the culture’s wrong, it rarely works out.

Culture is more than free tea and a branded fleece. It’s how you’re spoken to when things go wrong. It’s whether people support you. Whether you feel like you belong. That’s what keeps you going when the pace picks up or the pressure’s on.

If you want to move forward in your career, choose a company that brings out the best in you. One where your ambition is backed and your voice is heard. You’ll go further and feel better doing it.

THE BEST TEAMS GET THE BALANCE RIGHT

Yes, experience matters. No one’s saying you can train someone to run a litho press overnight or close a six-figure signage contract with no background.

You can teach process. You can give people tools. You can build skill and confidence with the right environment.

What you can’t do is teach someone to care. You can’t coach values. You can’t force someone to listen, adapt or work well with others.

In this industry, where every job relies on trust, teamwork and timing, that’s the bit that makes the biggest difference.

FINAL WORD

If someone doesn’t feel right for your business, they probably aren’t. Even if their CV looks perfect.

Same goes for candidates. If the culture doesn’t feel like a fit, it isn’t. That quiet gut feeling is nearly always right.

One of my favourite sayings: If it’s not a yes, it’s a no.

That one bit of instinct has saved more people than any CV ever has.

Hire for culture first. Back ambition. Let the rest follow.

Hiring or wanting to be hired? 

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