Many employers recognise the value of hiring for cultural fit, but they don’t know how to approach the subject in their hiring process.
It’s important to choose candidates who can work well in your current business environment and adapt to the core business principles and values that guide your team’s success.
Assessing cultural fit through your hiring process also helps to reduce high staff turnover as new hires tend to fit in with the business’ culture with more ease. When new hires fit in with the culture, they are also more likely to experience greater satisfaction and perform better.
Hiring for the right cultural fit often means first assessing your business’ core values and mission. Understanding the characteristics of your culture helps to craft your job advertisement and attract the right types of candidates to begin with.
Getting clear on your business’ vision is important in attracting people with a similar vision – those who are willing to work hard to improve your business. When it comes to interviewing potential employees, asking the right questions to gauge the cultural fit is key. Consider the following:
Personality
Prompt them to open up beyond their work history and experience – for example, asking what they find challenging about their current role or what is the best team they have worked in. This may provide clues to the environment they prefer to work in and what motivates them to work.
Preferred management style
Ask a potential candidate about their preferred management style. Their response is useful in discovering how they like to structure their work, and receive instructions and overall guidance. It can also encourage them to describe their ideal workplace and see if it aligns with your business.
Values
If you are looking to hire someone who will happily work towards the goals of your business, you must ensure your potential candidate’s values are consistent with your business. These candidates will seek to grow with your business and promote it as a great place to work.
Why they want to work for you
Hiring people who are passionate and ambitious is critical. Asking a candidate why they want to work for you helps to give you a real insight into whether their skills, interests and career goals will serve your business.
