Businesses, just like people, are prone to developing certain personalities, which is frequently addressed as business culture. Each company's culture is different.
Finding a person who will perfectly fit into your organizational structure and share the same values is a challenging task. HR managers and business leaders are just starting to realize this problem and are looking to hire people with attributes and personalities that match their business.
Eventually, it all comes down to employing candidates who will value your business norms. However, keep in mind that this is a two-way street, and employees are also searching for a cultural fit. Millennials, especially, are mindful about the type of company or employer they want to work for.
Culture fit: meaning
You may be familiar with a broader explanation of cultural fit, which refers to having employees whose behaviors, values, and beliefs align with the company.
Many experts define a cultural fit as the concept of evaluating potential candidates to establish what kind of cultural impact they will have on the organization. This includes several factors, from the way employees interact to their communication styles.
Corporate culture is an ecosystem that involves a complicated network of components and organisms, humans, technology, tools, premises, and other things we need to work. As we mentioned earlier, there are various business cultures and individual personalities.
That's why some people fit into one organization, and others don't. Cultural fit is matching the right people with the business culture. Even though this might seem simple, you shouldn't hire identical people.
The main idea behind cultural fit is to promote diversity. You will notice that great company culture is focused on a diverse workforce, as it should be. On the other hand, great company culture can quickly become a toxic one, and there is a lot of research that claims that homogenous teams can hardly succeed in business.
For instance, you may have an employee returning to the team after maternity leave who may not fit the culture of young people ready to work late and afternoon hours. Still, this mature employee will have plenty of life experience and knowledge to offer.
Cultural fit in the workplace
Before you even consider hiring new employees, you must define your organization's culture. What are the virtues your company values? What mindsets, attitudes, and behaviors do your teams have?
Many people struggle to identify or determine their culture; that's why hiring an external consultant might be the best solution and offer you much-needed perspective. Sometimes an outsider sees things that you have missed and helps you develop an environment that attracts individuals you are looking for.
Also, training managers to keep up with your company's culture might prevent negative interactions among co-workers, eventually impacting the whole workplace. Younger generations, in particular, look to leadership to establish a cultural tone. Therefore, managers and executives must show a unified front when implementing cultural standards.
Keep in mind that your employees care about the work environment. Many of them want to be part of a supportive and dynamic organization that has well-defined missions. According to numerous studies, people would rather take lower salaries and work in a company with a great culture that make big money and work for an organization with a terrible culture.
Hiring for cultural fit may bring you plenty of benefits and improve your business, making all your employees satisfied.
Culture fit test
The cultural fit test combines different methods designed to evaluate a candidate's cultural fit during the recruitment and selection process by gathering data. This test can include specific questions, a personality questionnaire, and a pre-employment assessment.
It's a valuable tool that evaluates and measures cultural fit objectively. Asking the right questions and collecting the right data is primary when determining whether someone is a cultural fit for your organization.
This way, you'll be able to hire people who are most likely to fit in with your company and avoid those that don't. This will drive your business forward and boost happiness and morale levels among your employees.
Here are some of the questions you may ask during a cultural fit interview:
- Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team?
- What role would you play within a team?
- What's your leadership style?
- How would your colleagues describe your work style?
- Describe a situation when you made a client happy with the service you provided.
Identifying a cultural fit
To identify a cultural fit, you need to articulate what practices, norms, and values define your business. Once the company's culture is specified, it should be displayed across all mediums, including job postings, recruiting tools, and your website.
Job ads need to reflect your business culture and connect back to your main values. This is how many organizations around the world attract the right people and keep talents. You need to point out some features you want in a candidate. For example, are you looking for years of experience, an innovative person, or someone who is customer-centric?
Any member of your company involved in this process needs to have a good grasp of your organization's culture and refer back to it as they go through the hiring process. It's not enough to ask candidates whether they'll fit into your company because anyone can give you the answer you want to hear.
So, instead of preparing generic questions, walk your candidate around the office, let them meet team members, and show them where the magic happens. Once you return to the interview room, ask your candidate a straightforward question: what were your thoughts as we walked through the company today? You will get a more specific answer instead of a prepared one, and there is a fair chance you'll find your cultural fit.
Why is cultural fit so important?
You get to keep the staff. Since we spend a third of our lifetimes at work, it's essential for employees to feel connected and happy. If they don't, you may face a staff retention issue. Cultural fit is the crucial aspect of keeping the employees.
Level of engagement. When employees' beliefs align with company ones, they are more likely to be committed and work hard to accomplish their goals. Also, people whose jobs match their personality are more competent and confident.
Productivity and performance. An organization with a strong culture and people who believe in the values and goals of the business are generally more productive. Keep in mind that poor culture will drain your employees and make them less productive, which leads to a lack of performance.
