Hiring Applicants Who Are a Fit–Part 2

Ask job fit questions and culture fit questions

When selecting employees, consider the individual’s fit with both the job and the culture.

To evaluate the candidate’s fitness for the job, companies consider these questions:

• Does the applicant have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for this job?
• What past experiences have prepared the applicant for this job?
• Do the applicant’s strengths match the requirements for this job?
• Will this person be sufficiently challenged doing this work?

More and more organizations now add another layer of questioning to evaluate how a candidate fits their culture. When evaluating an applicant for culture fit, companies think about these culture fit questions:

• Is the organization’s work meaningful to the applicant?
• Are the applicant’s values in harmony with the values of our organization?
• Will the person naturally perform in ways that are consistent with how we do things here?

Culture fit questions are an essential part of the selection process. There is a greater likelihood that employees will stay with an organization where the work feels meaningful. Additionally, when the organization’s values are in sync with the employee’s values, the employee feels a greater sense of harmony at work.

Those candidates selected on the basis of culture fit—in addition to job fit—are a total fit. As Warren Buffett (WSJ, October 27, 2010, page C1) said when he hired Todd Combs to take over his portfolio when Buffett retires, “He (Combs) is a 100% fit for our culture.” Mr. Buffett further explained how screening Combs for culture fit was essential for sustaining the culture. Buffett said,

I can define the culture while I am here, but we want a culture that is so embedded that it doesn’t get tested when the founder of it isn’t around. Todd is perfect in that respect.

Culture matters because when employees consistently practice shared values, it provides an experience that loyal customers seek. Just look at companies like Starbucks who hire people not just to deliver a perfect cup of coffee, but also to deliver an experience that is aligned with their culture and brand.

When culture fit is considered in hiring, everyone benefits. Candidates who are selected on the basis of culture fit—in addition to job fit—contribute faster, perform better and stay longer with the organization. And when hiring managers neglect culture fit, the company and the employee share the burden. Individuals who are not a fit can be toxic to the culture, and when groups of people are hired that lack the necessary fit, often the result is a fragmented or schizophrenic-type culture. Because values are difficult to change, culture fit cannot easily be altered through training and development.

So how do you hire for culture fit? First, define the Core Culture of the organization so you know the principles and values that are most important for the organization. Then, screen applicants for their fit with those Core Culture principles and values. What you will be examining is the actual similarity of the Purpose and values of the organization—its Core Culture—with the Purpose and values of the individual. This fit supports a connection with the organization that can positively impact retention. Culture fit alone will not give you the ideal candidate, but together with job fit, you will have the formula for hiring the right candidate for the job at your company.

[For continuation of Hiring for Culture Fit discussion, read the next post on topic: Part 3]