When one of the requirements in online job ads states, that candidates will be hired based on ‘cultural fit’, this tends to favour the status quo in the company, whether that relates to socioeconomic, gender, age or one’s ability to join work colleagues at the local bar every Friday night. And, when this happens, it makes it harder for anyone who doesn’t ‘fit the mould’ to get into sectors where they are currently under-represented. One of the problems with the words ‘culture fit’ is that its process, is both opaque and rife with biases – while keeping qualified candidates from roles they deserve.
In her article on the pros and cons of ‘Culture Fit’ Carla Bell of HR Dive solicited feedback from 3 experts in the field of HR and talent management. Here is a excerpt:
Jason Geer: What is culture fit?
“I literally laughed out loud when I thought about the number of conversations, I’ve had with HR professionals and managers who described someone as not being a good “culture fit” for their respective organizations. They were saying, without actually saying, that “employee X” didn’t fit their narrow definition of how they should look and act.
Culture fit is all about creating a culture centered around the “in group” philosophy of people who look, act and sound alike. It could be an organization’s interest and pursuit of candidates who will look, speak, act and work just like existing managers and employees. This is why so many companies are overwhelmingly white, and have similar academic backgrounds. It’s also the reason why diversity efforts in companies and organizations generally miss the mark. In an ideal working world, culture fit would be determined by that person’s ability to do the job.”
Lily Zheng: What is culture fit?
“Culture fit” is often used by HR professionals to describe the extent to which a candidate or employee has traits or characteristics in line with those promoted by the existing company culture. When those using this term lack awareness regarding their company culture, they may intentionally or unintentionally prioritize “fit” with extraneous criteria — e.g. the racial or gender composition of their company, the connection to prestigious schools or prior workplaces, friendship with existing leadership, etc. — and thus be engaging in discrimination.”
Andrew MacAskill: What is culture fit?
“When HR and other leaders talk about culture fit, they are talking about inviting people to work on their planet that won’t upset their ecosystem. They want people who can demonstrate that they align with the values and collective behaviors within the business as well as meeting the hard skills requirements of the role. This is a solid approach, but I feel as a business community we are now moving away from culture fit and evolving towards “culture add.” This is exciting because this is how we actively seek to recruit diverse individuals who will add something to the team through fresh thinking and perspectives, and that is where innovation and progress comes from.”
Bottomline: Of course, its important to make sure new hires abide by the policies and other day to day rules that govern a company. However, maintaining ‘cultural fit’, at all costs, means a company is not open to differing views — which in the end, means you are not maximising the potential of your talent and business.
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