How to Tell If a Candidate Is a Good Cultural Fit

Increasingly, employers are looking for people with a positive attitude and fit with the company's culture in addition to top talent. That's because there's more interest in individuals who have the proper approach since they're more likely to be successful in their position and provide value to the business - and additional skills can always be learned.

'How can I tell if a candidate is a good match for my culture?' This is a crucial question for human resources professionals. You may use the selection and interview process to see whether individuals will function well within your company's overall culture, as well as the team or department's particular culture.

What does ‘cultural fit’ look like?

The first step is to figure out what 'cultural fit' means to your company. You won't be able to ask the appropriate questions or see whether a candidate would be a good or poor hire if you don't define the sort of people and approach your firm prefers. So, at the bare minimum, create a list of qualities and attitudes that your company and team are aligned on. These may include:

• Innovative thinking
• Willingness to take risks
• Understanding of collaboration
• Prioritizing particular ethics such as inclusivity or environmental concerns
• Ability and approach to working with others

Once you have a clear idea about what you want to see in a candidate, you can start to design questions to give you an understanding of what each candidate is about. You might want to refine your list to reflect the actual role you’re recruiting for, as well as the culture of the wider organization. You should also include a couple of questions about the candidate’s leadership style if that’s appropriate, and about their expectations of leadership in your business.

Here are some questions to get you started:

“What do your coworkers think about working with you?”

This question forces candidates to evaluate their abilities and approach from the standpoint of others. Whatever the response is, it provides you a window into how they see themselves. If you ask them to tell you about any direct comments they have had from current coworkers, you'll be able to see how far they've progressed.

“Describe your leadership style.” 

This is a completely different question from the preceding one. The first concerns people's impressions of the applicant; this concerns how you operate in practice. Candidates with good skills will know what this question is referring to and should be able to explain how they handle individuals and teams on a daily basis.

“Tell us about a time when you worked successfully as part of a team.” 

This tells you more about your candidate's collaboration and team abilities, allowing you to better comprehend how they would adapt to the position for which they're applying. Other questions can assess how they deal with difficulties or conflicts in teams, and this will reveal whether they have the temperament and attitude that are appropriate for your organization.

“What kind of work culture makes you happy and productive?” 

You'll be able to tell a lot about your potential employees by how they feel about their jobs. We all know that when people are in a good working atmosphere, they're more productive. This question will provide you with an indication of what motivates your applicant - it might be being able to meet deadlines or having the ability to manage one's time.

Finally, try having the candidate visit your office or department for a group meeting or tour, especially for more senior positions. This allows you to get feedback from a wider variety of people - and those who may be working with them directly - about the potential match.

It's important to carefully examine a candidate's skills and experience to determine whether they will be a good fit for your organization. We integrate this into the early evaluation process so that we can deliver high-quality last selections. It should also be included in your standard interview technique - at every role level - to make sure you're getting the best people on your team. 

Get in touch today to find out how we can help you find candidates that are a good cultural fit for your business.