Hiring staff? How to achieve that culture fit

Hiring staff? How to achieve that culture fit

It’s not as elusive as it sounds you know. However, if we were to go solely on the dictionary definition of ‘culture fit’ and think of it in terms of hiring staff, it can seem a little daunting.

“Cultural fit is the likelihood that a job candidate will be able to conform and adapt to the core values and collective behaviours that make up an organisation”.

Thankfully, it’s not to be taken in a complete literary dictionary sense.But, would we go the whole hog and say that your company should hire for culture and train for skill? Well, generally speaking, it would be easier to develop an individual’s skills then alter their beliefs and values to make them connect with your culture. Our advice is to take a more solid and open approach to culture over the gut feeling that can guide the cultural fit assessment at times. Recognise that there is a payoff to unearthing candidates that have a good ‘culture fit’. Here we hope to show you why and how.

Why is it important?

Down in the trenches (that’s recruitment to you), we hear it from clients, getting the culture fit right is at the forefront of their minds. They are becoming more aware that this approach will lead them to the future company ambassadors. An engaging atmosphere with engaged employees. Resources will be saved, and the final selection process (in a good way) will be hard for them. Lasting working relationships will be formed and job mobility will be reduced.

Knowing your culture…

Obviously, before you can leap forward and apply this open approach to your culture, you’ll need to ask yourself a few questions. A distinct culture is waiting to be discovered in every company and getting to the heart of what makes your company tick will be empowering - whether you are in hiring mode or not.Ask yourself the following:

• What are the underlying values of your company?
• If you have a mission statement, does this reflect the real culture at your company?
• How would you describe your organisational structure?
• Away from work, is there a relationship between team members?
• What does your company value most, and reward its employees for?
• What would you change about the culture at your company?
• What five best key words or phrases would you use to describe your company?

Getting your culture out there when hiring

Once you have cracked (and embraced) the culture that you at the heart of, it’s time to incorporate it into your search for candidates - remember this is your USP to attracting those future company ambassadors. Try to communicate the cultural elements of your company at all stages throughout the hiring process.1. The Job SpecBe mindful that a jobseeker, primarily, is looking for a company that has a culture that they can connect with, join and prosper in. Remember The Job Spec, see our guide on writing them here, will be on the job sites or in a recruiters hands - make sure that those opening lines encompasses the culture awaiting jobseekers. The values, beliefs and goals of your company should be above the fold within the content of your job spec.2. Conversations with hiring managers/recruitment agenciesWe touch upon it in our blog on, ‘How to get the most from your recruitment agency’, but those initial conversations are so important when enlisting an agency to handle your vacancy. Be open. Think beyond the tangible. Give your agency the insight into your ethos and culture. Accept a visit to your premises. For ourselves, we find this gives us the intelligence to make those early decisions in the screening and assessing stage of our process.3. A Careers PageThough it may prove costly in terms of the design and developer’s hours, adding a careers page to your website is another way to showcase your company culture. When executed well, (see Intercom, MasterCard, Canva and Spotify), this new web real estate can provide a window into the day-to-day interactions, comradery and values that your team share.

The Interview

Whatever the route that you took in getting to interview stage, using an agency or through your own resourcing, you should have a shortlist of candidates that in some way hold parallels with your company’s culture. On meeting the candidates for the first time, acknowledge your gut feeling but don’t let it rule the roost. Don’t just ask questions that give you surface level insights - get more in-depth.

Engaging the hearts, minds and hands of talent is the most sustainable source of competitive advantage - Greg Harris

Sometimes the shortcomings of a candidate aren’t the skills or experience they have, but the culture fit. Sure, your company may still run properly and be successful if staff don’t necessarily mesh well together, but making the ‘culture fit’ part of the agenda when hiring, will give you a better shot at building a team that is unified, industrious and that buy in to your goals. This approach will give you a shot at finding employees that go and above for your company and lead it to prominence.