The cost of a poorly filled strategic position is high. How can you find the right fit?

If you want to find an expert who will grow together with your company, it is necessary to focus not only on knowledge, skills, and the ability to learn, but also on cultural alignment. An impressive CV alone does not make the perfect candidate.

At first glance, the labor market may appear stable. Employees are holding on to their positions due to economic uncertainty and are less willing to risk a change. This means the most valuable experts are not actively on the market and do not respond to standard job ads. This makes recruitment more difficult.

The paradox of the Czech labor market

On one hand, the labor market seems relatively stable. On the other, companies’ subjective perception tells a different story — up to 55% of them see employee turnover as a serious problem.

The reason? There is a slow, stable market for regular positions, and at the same time a hyper-competitive, dynamic market for top experts. Companies that attempt to reach experts through mass recruitment methods inevitably fail, because they are operating in the wrong segment of the market.

A major chemical company faced a similar situation when filling the key position of Communication & Branding Manager for the Central European region. Within 30 days, we sourced 81 candidates, 2 of whom advanced to the final round.

The situation is further complicated by the deepening skills gap — the divide between the skills companies need and those actually available on the market.

In this challenging environment, the risk of making the wrong decision is higher than ever. But the costs of a bad hire go far beyond a lost salary. In addition to direct recruitment expenses, there are costs for onboarding, the time during which the employee is being trained and not yet fully productive, the costs of their departure, and expenses for a new hire—not to mention the negative impact on team morale.

“I believe one of the indirect costs of recruitment is also that companies keep hiring the same type of people. At S&you, we can provide diversity in terms of skills and professional experience, which ultimately also represents a saving,” says Christophe Beaujard, S&you Director CZ&SK.

So how do you find the ideal candidate? Culture-fit is key

Professional recruitment begins with a deep strategic discussion and a clear vision of the candidate you are looking for. This gives you a realistic definition of the personality you can further work with.

An interesting challenge was also faced by a clothing brand that needed to staff 5 new stores before the Christmas season. We successfully recruited 9 managerial positions and 22 sales assistants — in an extremely short time.

Once you have a precise vision, the next step is to test it in practice. A culture-fit interview is a structured diagnostic process. The goal is to find people from different backgrounds who share the core values of your organization.

“During interviews at S&you, we deliberately uncover not only competencies but above all the candidate’s behavior in key situations from their past. We use behavioral and competency-based questions, because past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. This systematic approach eliminates the risk of unconscious bias and decisions based on ‘gut feeling,’ which are often misleading. It is an objective and fair process that delivers far more accurate results,” says Christophe Beaujard, S&you Director CZ&SK.

The peak of this in-depth diagnostic process is a concrete and tangible outcome: in the case of S&you, a detailed report on the candidate, known as the Candidate Assessment Report.

This document provides a thorough analysis of the candidate’s competencies, strengths, potential areas for development, and above all, a clear evaluation of alignment with your unique company culture.

Imagine the right person—we will find them for you
S&you

Although recruitment in our approach is thoughtful, even diagnostic, it is still about working with people, and we consider the candidate’s personality and culture fit absolutely essential. We work in such a way that the result is satisfaction on all sides and the long-term growth of your company.

TIP: See the case study How We Found a CEO for a Major Retail Brand in the CEE Region.