Recruiting the right talent is crucial for the success and growth of any business, and nowadays, the right talent is not just one who has the skills and qualifications for the role, but is also a good culture fit. This is because having employees who align with the company’s culture can significantly impact team dynamics, employee engagement, and overall organizational performance. Recruitment must therefore be culture-driven. This means finding candidates who not only possess the necessary skills but also embody the values, beliefs, and behaviors that define your company.
According to the Academy to Innovate HR, over 80% of recruitment professionals believe that culture has become a prominent factor in the candidate selection process. This works both ways, as surveys show that the majority of job seekers consider an organization’s culture before applying. It is therefore important that from the recruitment process, ensuring harmony between the candidate and the business’s attitudes, values, behaviors, and goals is taken into consideration in order to create a positive and collaborative work environment for team members, resulting in higher performance metrics and retention rates.
Here are ways to build cultural fit into your recruitment and hiring processes:
- Define your company culture. Create a strong corporate identity by clearly defining your mission and values. Identify the values, skills, and attitudes that your business embodies, taking into account the traits of your existing team members. Once you have established what you stand for as a business, use this information to decide if a candidate is a good cultural fit.
- Check the candidate’s understanding of your organization and its existing culture. Well-prepared job-seekers should have already read up on your mission statement and values before the interview. By then, they may already have an idea of what your culture is like and have probably determined that they’ll fit in. Nevertheless, ask candidates what they know and what they’ve read about you And see if they can passionately describe your values.
- Ask the right questions. The right questions to assess if a candidate is culturally fit will depend on your organizational culture. Incorporate open-ended questions surrounding your company’s values such as:
- What do you value most at work?
- What do you like most about working on a team?Can you tell me about a time when you worked on a team that faced a challenge? How did you contribute to overcoming it?
- In what team setting do you think you will thrive best?
- How do you prefer to receive feedback?
- Can you tell me about a time when you introduced a new idea that was implemented?
- How do you maintain a work-life balance?
Candidates’ responses to such questions should give you a good insight into their overall character and help you find out which candidate best resonates with your values and culture.
Cultural fit is the idea that the candidate has the personality and social skills to work well with other current employees, bring and incorporate new ideas in a way that benefits everyone in and outside the company. It truly pays to look beyond skill sets and experience when you are looking for the right kind of employees for your organization. By implementing a culture-driven recruitment and hiring process, you can help your organization build a thriving workforce.
About the author:
Ivy Gaille Mangco-Terana is a Recruitment Lead at Eastvantage. She has over six years of experience in sourcing and recruiting top talent for fast-paced organizations in the IT and BPO industries. She combines her ability to assess needs, build relationships, and identify the best candidates for open positions with her expertise in full-lifecycle recruiting and talent acquisition to ensure only the highest caliber candidates are recommended to hiring managers. Ivy is driven by a passion for helping others find their dream jobs.
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