Businesses – just like people – have their own unique personality and it’s known as business culture. More and more business leaders and HR Managers are discovering the significance of hiring individuals whose personality and attributes align with the values, beliefs, and attitudes upheld by their organisation.

Culture-fit hiring is a two-way street that ensures a perfect match between the candidate and the values and norms of the business. It's not just employers who are interested in cultural fit – job seekers, especially millennials, are also becoming more mindful about the type of employer they work for.

Cultural Fit: Meaning

Have you come across the term "cultural fit" when it comes to hiring? It's all about finding employees who share the same values, beliefs, and behaviours as their employer. It may sound simple, but it's a powerful idea that has transformed the way businesses approach hiring.

At its core, cultural fit means finding the right people who will thrive in a specific company's environment. This includes everything from how employees communicate to how they interact with each other. After all, a single negative influence can have a significant impact on company culture. That's why cultural fit has become such a hot topic today.

Assessing cultural fit is like a matchmaking game, designed to find the perfect candidate who vibes with the culture of an organisation during the recruitment and selection process. As a candidate, you’re going to be looking for specifics about a business so that you can ensure you’re working for the right people – it’s exactly what companies will do when they decide on whether to choose you.

Companies work on gathering clues and analysing data, using tools such as pre-employment assessments, personality questionnaires or even culture-specific interview questions to decide whether to offer you a role. Conducting a cultural fit assessment is a fantastic way for businesses to objectively measure and evaluate cultural fit, ensuring that they find the perfect fit for their team!

The importance of cultural fit in the workplace

Having the right employee fit is vital for a company's overall success. Not only do candidates need to possess the necessary hard skills to perform their tasks, but they should also be able to thrive in the company's offered culture. No one wants to hate going to work every day, right?

When an employee fits well with the business culture, they enjoy interacting with their colleagues and find the working environment fun and engaging. This positive attitude leads to increased job satisfaction and a greater desire to excel in their role. Not only that, but employees will want to stay in their position for longer and given the talent-tight market we’re in right now, this is a need!

Conversely, an employee who doesn't fit in well with the company culture can cause conflicts and tension among their colleagues. This can lead to a dysfunctional office environment and negatively impact job performance while making it an uncomfortable place for everyone to be.

To avoid this, it's crucial for Hiring Managers to ensure a good cultural fit when hiring new employees. By doing so, they can create a harmonious and productive work environment that will help drive the company's success forward and make people want to come to work.

How is cultural fit assessed?

So, you want to know how companies assess cultural fit? Well, it's not just about looking at someone's CV and qualifications - there are a few more tricks up their sleeve! Companies use a variety of methods to assess cultural fit, such as personality questionnaires, behavioural interviews, and even team-based assessments.

Personality questionnaires are a great way to get to know a candidate's character traits, values and beliefs. Behavioural interviews go a step further by asking candidates to give examples of how they would react in certain situations, providing insight into how they might behave in the workplace.



And if that's not enough, some companies like to test candidates by putting them in a team-based assessment to see how they work with others. This can be a great way to see if a candidate has the right attitude and communication skills to fit in with the rest of the team. So, as you can see, companies take cultural fit seriously and use a range of methods to ensure they hire the right people for the job.

Cultural Fit: Interview Questions

There's no right or wrong company culture, but when businesses hire for cultural fit, they're not just looking for candidates they like. Even if the role is exciting, it won't work out in the long run if there isn't a good fit between the you and the organisation. 

But don't worry, you can increase your chances of getting the role you want by preparing for the interview questions that will be fired at you. To do this, you can research the company's mission and values on their website.

During an interview, a Hiring Manager will likely ask you some questions to gauge how well you might fit in with the company's culture. Don't worry, we've got you covered with some cultural fit interview questions and how to answer them in a way that shows off your skills and personality.

Have you ever found yourself lying in your job?

This question is designed to assess your integrity, a highly valuable trait for any employee. If the answer is yes, be honest and explain how you realised that telling the truth was the better option in the long run.

For example, you might say: "At my previous job, I had a hard-working team member who wasn't meeting the company's expectations. I wanted to spare their feelings, but I knew that lying about their performance wouldn't help them or the company in the long term. So I approached them privately, provided some training resources, and offered constructive feedback on how they could improve."

How do you offer criticism? 

This question is asked so a Manager can see how well you can provide constructive feedback in a positive and productive way. Your answer should show that you focus on the situation, not the person, and provide actionable feedback to help them improve.

You could respond with something along the lines of: "When I give feedback, I try to make it about the situation, not the person. I also provide steps to help them improve, and I try to do it in a way that the feedback is still relevant. It's important for criticism to be constructive and I always make sure to give feedback in a private, respectful environment."

Have you ever had to follow a policy you didn't agree with?

This is always a tough question but it’s designed to see how well you can work within company rules, even if you don't personally agree with them. To successfully answer this question, you could explain what the policy was, why you didn't agree with it at first, and how you ultimately came around to seeing the benefits of it.

An example response could be: “At my last writing job, we were asked not to use headphones while working. I didn't like this policy at first because I was used to being able to listen to music while working. However, after a few weeks, I found that I was actually more productive without music as a distraction. I was also able to communicate with my colleagues more easily, which made for a better team environment."

Do you prefer working independently or with a team? 

There is nothing wrong with working in either of these ways, but it’s important that your answer reflects that you can do both! It’s a very big question that helps to show how you might fit in with the company's culture. Show that you're capable of both but emphasise the benefits of working with a team.

You could say: "I'm comfortable working independently, but I find that I work best as part of a team. In my previous roles, I've found that collaboration with colleagues and employees leads to better results and more innovative ideas. Plus, I enjoy bouncing ideas off others and learning from them."

How have you changed over the past five years? 

This personal development question is asked so that the interview can see how you've grown as a person and an employee. 

You could give a response such as: "Over the past five years, I've worked on improving my communication skills and my ability to manage and motivate a team. I've also gained experience in a range of different areas and I believe that these skills and experiences will help me be a valuable asset to this company and its goals."

Cultural Fit: Interview Questions

Being interviewed for a role doesn’t have to make you feel less confident and let’s remember that as much as a business is looking to see whether you fit their culture, you’ll be doing the same. Always round up an interview by asking your own questions, such as:



• How would you describe the company culture?
• How do you support employee learning and development?
• What do you enjoy about working here?

During the interview, take note of the questions they ask you. This will give you some serious insight into what's important to them and whether they value finding the right cultural fit. Are they curious about your personality, values, and what motivates you? Do they ask about your preferred working style or management approach? And if they bust out the formal psychometric assessments, you know they're just as invested in finding the perfect fit as you are. You don’t need to pretend you align with a business just to get a job, either – simply turn down an offer if the company isn’t right for you.

If you’re in need of guidance when it comes to cultural fit, the best thing you can do is to contact our team of talented WOWzers. We’re here to guide you through the interview process and ensure that you find the right cultural fit!