Hiring Tips: Cultural Fit, Important or Not?

First things first. Any candidate needs a fine balance of cultural fit and technical skill. Without a suitable cultural fit, how is the candidate going to work with others? and without relevant technical skills, how will the candidate do the job? My issue is that a lot of companies can be blinded by education and qualifications, but if the employer wants the longed-for “perfect” candidate, then they must look beyond their education and see the bigger picture.

Having a degree does show a great level of dedication and gives a person the theoretical and analytical skill that they can take into any situation. It has been proved that candidates with a degree can learn new processes and technologies quicker and more-in depth than those without a degree. But… if this candidate has never been in a team, never been part of a similar organization, and has NO connection to the company’s values, then how well can they really fit with the employer?

It’s no secret that employee retention starts with whether the employee likes the company, and vice versa.

this normally comes down to the strategy behind how company decisions are made, and how these decisions are handled by both parties.

These decisions are made in line with the companies long-standing values and culture!

Hiring employees that don’t mesh well with the existing or desired company culture leads to poor work quality, decreased job satisfaction and a potentially toxic environment, resulting in turnover which has high costs.

I believe that a candidate’s skills and qualifications will be the initial factor that gets them through to a face-to-face interview. Which is why I believe that the main purpose of the face-to-face interview should be to assess the potential cultural fit of a candidate.

Here are the same old questions that you can work out from their CV, and get you nowhere:

* Tell me about your experience?

* What are your career aspirations?

* How big was the team you managed at Average Joe’s Engineering?

And here are some questions you can ask to assess cultural fit:

* What drives you to succeed?

* What environment do you thrive in?

* What does your ideal work day look like?

* Tell me something I don’t already know about you.

* How would co-workers describe the role you play on a team?

Hiring based on culture (as well as qualifications of course) increases employee retention immensely. It can be unfair to hire a candidate based on their qualifications, knowing that they possibly aren’t the best culture fit. They will thrive in an environment that suits their beliefs and values. Let them spread their wings somewhere else, don’t trap them in a cage they are not familiar with, find the individual that will be with you for the long haul.

If you are looking to find a company which will allow you to spread your wings, then contact us at 0800-171-000. We only place those candidates that will enjoy their work with their new company. Alternatively, email me at conor@trs.co.nz.