In a recent article for Harvard Business Review, Katie Bouton looked at the importance of recruiting for cultural fit.
Also in a May 2014 survey of 2,978 job seekers and HR professionals by Millennial Branding and Beyond.com, they found that 43% of hiring managers ranked “cultural fit” as the most important thing when hiring a candidate.
So is culture fit important to you when recruiting? Here we look at why and how you can apply the theory to your interview techniques.
Hiring managers want to see if the candidate can actually fit in with the rest of the team and the workplace environment. Passion doesn’t always equal someone you’d want to be working next to every day. What’s important is that hiring managers, and everyone at your company can identify critical characteristics that enhance that culture.
Katie goes on to discuss that there has been a lot of talk recently about how looking for culture fit can lead to discrimination against candidates and a lack of diversity. It’s important to understand that hiring for culture fit doesn’t mean hiring people who are all the same. The values and attributes that make up an organizational culture can and should be reflected in a richly diverse workforce.
Ideal Interview Question to ask for assessing culture fit in an interview include:
1. Why do you want to work here?
2. Describe the work environment or culture in which you are most productive and happy?
3. How would your co-workers describe your work style and contributions in your former job?
4. Tell me about a time when you worked with/for an organization where you felt you were not a strong culture fit. Why was it a bad fit?
Lastly, if possible it is recommended that you give the interviewee an office tour so you can gauge their reaction to how your current employees at all levels interact with one another at meetings or during lunch. Look for their reactions and seek feedback from any staff they meet. Are they at ease in your work environment? Do they mix with their peers? What impression did your current staff receive?
By assessing culture fit during the recruiting process, you are more likely to hire professionals who will flourish in their new roles, drive long-term growth and success for your organization, and ultimately save you time and money.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about improving your recruitment process then please contact me paul@paulgreening.com
