We are living in a time when the great hiring revolution is going on. As people who are going to become your prospective employees have a changed outlook of what a workplace should be like, the organisation is also rooting towards hiring a more culturally fit candidate now more than ever.
However, a lot of people struggle with this aspect of the hiring process. Why is that? Because more often than not, organisations want to hire a culturally fit candidate, but might have a different perception of it than its actual meaning.
So, What is to recruit for cultural fit?
To recruit for cultural fit, we must understand what makes a candidate a true cultural fit? In simple terms, you are on the lookout for a candidate who will adapt and flow through the way your organisation’s culture operates, its approach to working, the kind of setup it has, and the expectations of communication, delivery, and accountability it has set.
We all know that once we hire someone who is “culturally unfit”, the entire standing of the organisational culture is disturbed. Therefore when we ask ourselves the question of “what is to hire for cultural fit”, we should think along the following lines:
- Hiring for a cultural fit begins with clearly defining companies’ values and tenets, and then assessing against those tenets.
- When we talk about hiring for cultural fit, the answer lies in the intense, robust, and compassionate training of those who will lead the hiring process. Every interviewer is trained on how to ask questions based on cultural and team fit. They then go on to assess the candidate’s suitability for being a cultural fit.
- Another element of understanding what is to recruit for a cultural fit is to know that when we talk about cultural fit, we are talking macro. Beyond cultural fit, we also have team fit, which talks on a more micro level.
How to successfully recruit for cultural fit?
Now that we have an understanding of the whats, let’s venture into the hows. So, how do you successfully recruit for cultural fit?
It can be a tricky process. Since recruiting for cultural fit is more subjective than objective, it can be hard to accurately measure a candidate’s suitability along these lines. However, there are certain processes in place that you can use to successfully recruit for cultural fit. Let’s take a look at those.
Understand Candidate’s Point of View
To ensure you are undertaking recruitment for cultural fit successfully, it will be good to look at how a candidate is viewing your organisation.
So, ask the candidates if they are aware of about culture of your company. This should be done close to the final HR round.
By then, the candidates would have met at least 2-3 Interviewers from the company. As a result, this will be a good time to build a 30,000 ft view baseline.
Reference Checks Will Come in Useful
Another way you can successfully pull off hiring for cultural fit is by taking a 360-degree opinion from a candidate’s past work history.
If the candidate has worked in multiple workplaces, you can ref check with the companies about the candidate’s approach to the culture of their organisation.
You can then gain a clear understanding of what kind of culture the candidate prefers. As a result, you will be able to further understand if the candidate will be a good fit for your organisational culture.
Evaluate Deeply
To ensure you are hiring the correct cultural fit, it’s important to evaluate the candidate on the core cultural values of your organisation.
For instance, let’s suppose your company’s value is Ownership or Lead with Example. Then, you should ask the candidates to narrate a scenario where they showed ownership or led with an example in their previous organisation.
This will give you a clear picture of how the candidate perceives these values and their approach to them. As a result, you will be able to make better recruitment decisions.
Follow Up a Lot
This point snowballs from the above point. After you have asked questions relating to cultural scenarios to the prospective candidate, make sure to ask ample follow-up questions throughout the course of the evaluation.
A lot of times, deep-rooted information is obtained when we ask follow-up questions. You will also become much clear and more confident about a candidate’s suitability for your cultural fit. Result? A thriving organisational culture backed by the right set of people.
PS- All views and opinions expressed are purely personal.
