The shift of cultural fit to a much higher position on a recruiter’s agenda has been noticeable over the last few years.
In a study by Cubiks it emerged that 84% of hiring managers believe cultural fit is one of the most important elements in recruitment. In addition, 90% of recruiters have rejected a candidate as they felt they were not suited to the company culture.
Hiring a candidate that will add value to your existing team culture is important, it is equally as valuable to create a diverse workforce that can bring different ideas, life experiences and skills to the table.
If you assess cultural fit throughout your hiring process, you are sure to only recruit candidates that fit within your existing team and whose values are aligned with your company values.
Hiring on both job fit, and cultural fit will prove most beneficial in that your new hire will:
- Quickly become part of your team
- Are happier in their new job
- Tend to stay longer with your business
- Become company brand ambassadors
- Are likely to become top performers
Practical and effective strategies on how to hire employees for cultural fit and why it’s successful.
- Make sure you have a group of values and the way they translate to the role
I believe company values are very important to communicate. They explain what management hold as important in the organisation, and they guide employees on the behaviours they are expected to uphold.
- Include a page within your company career’s page about your company values
Your company values should always appear on your careers section of your website. I now see a lot of companies creating slide decks featuring current employees that describe the company values and culture and how they align with their own values and career paths.
- Talk about your Values and your company culture during the interview process
It is essential that those involved in the recruitment process have a good grasp of the company culture. It would be great if those candidate(s) at final round interview stage candidates were afforded a site tour and provided with the opportunity to ask employees further questions on the company culture, teamwork and mission.
- Ask questions that relate on to these values
In addition to skill-based questions during the interview, I recommend that you also include a range of questions to assess the candidate’s personality and cultural fit. You can ask them for their own personal values , a typical example would be to ask” What values are important to you”? it will also be beneficial to ask specific questions in relation to your own company values and consider their reactions and answers to these questions perhaps a question such as “Which one of our company values would resonate with you the most?” note their verbal responses to these type of questions but also pay attention to their body language and comfort levels, this will enable you to ascertain which candidates best align with your company values and culture
- Ensure that your induction process involves cultural induction
Set aside time in the induction period to take new hires through a cultural induction process. This can be a discussion about company values/culture. Your new recruits will appreciate this, it will allow them to gain a full understanding and will ensure that they are comfortable with your company culture
Probably the biggest mistake any hiring manager or recruiter can make is not taking time to investigate cultural fit. It simply is not a set of soft skills lumped together under one umbrella term. It is crucial in measuring your candidate’s ability to thrive in your business.
Employees who embrace your company culture and values will become brand ambassadors; they will have a positive effect in your organisation by boosting morale and contributing to the team
Here at FRS we have over 40 years of experience in recruitment in Ireland. We’ve seen trends come and go but we’re certain that the importance of cultural fit is here long term. If you want to discover how to successfully screen for cultural fit within your organisation , or if you want to have a chat about any of your recruitment needs, please get in touch with one of our Recruitment team.
Our wealth of recruitment experience means that we can assist you to find top talent in your industry and make your organisation soar.
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Felicity Farrell
Felicity has extensive experience in the Life Sciences sector and possesses specialist knowledge of the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries in Ireland. She currently partners and has experienced great success with the recruitment of Chemistry, Microbiology and Biochemistry Professionals. She has experience in large scale, start up recruitment projects in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Felicity’s main focus is building strong working relationships with both her clients and job seekers while offering an exceptional professional service, absolute confidentiality, and the most ethical values in finding the perfect match for both candidate and client.
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