Hire for Culture and Fit

Author:  Rick Weaver, Franchisee

Hire for Culture and Fit

It was a chilly morning as I raced to get to a meeting across town. Along the way I stopped for a quick breakfast. When the food came, I said, “You must enjoy getting people a delicious start to their day.” The reply shocked me.

“I like it, I just wish the food was healthier”.

I immediately thought, “my breakfast isn’t healthy? I thought it was. After all it’s low in sodium and fat. What is wrong with it.”

Was the problem the food, the wait staff, or something else.

Research on the ingredients verified the healthiness of the breakfast. Perhaps the displeasure by my wait staff was because the breakfast was not organic, perhaps because it was not vegan, or perhaps something was going on in the kitchen that was not sanitary.

Whatever it was, I haven’t stopped there for another meal.

Perhaps the real problem was that this member of the team was not aligned with the mission of the restaurant. In short, there was a lack of Cultural fit.

 

What is culture?

Let’s take a quick moment to define what culture means. According to Northwestern University, “culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization.“

Cultures include any cognitive constructs that create a shared set of behaviors, beliefs, or traditions.

“Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things,” Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science.

Two considerations for Cultural Fit

There are two considerations an employer should or must consider when adding to their team: Corporate Culture and Corporate Mission.

Corporate cultures generally fall into two areas: Traditional Management where decisions are made at top levels and strong policies and procedures keep a disciplined approach. The Contemporary Management culture is typically a bottom-up management style where employees are given greater leeway in how they work. In 1985 a joint venture between IBM and Microsoft did not last as IBM’s employees dressed in the required white dress shirts and suits did not mess with Microsoft’s business casual lifestyle.

Many times, a company will hire an employee because of something very successful on their resume. The company feels this individual will be able to replicate that accomplishment at their company. Although a great idea in concept, if the individual was thriving in a culture where the rules were well defined and strong top-down direction allowed for the achievement, the same individual may not be able to thrive in a contemporary environment. Likewise, if creativity was at the basis of the triumph the individual will suffocate it moving from a contemporary to traditional organization.

Corporate Mission is the second area important to cultural fit. In the case of my morning breakfast, there was not a clear fit to the mission at their restaurant. Something was missing. Even though this waitress was excellent at giving great service, the attitude of displeasure to the food being served was harmful to their business. As previously said, I have not been back to this previously favored morning nosh spot.

It is critical for a company to have a mission their employees can align with – one so strong they will brag about it to family, friends, and social media contacts.

Tying the two together

Success in employee engagement and retention is much stronger when the two elements of cultural fit come together with a candidate’s vision and purpose. This reward is strongest when cultural fit occurs in the onboarding process.

Northwestern University cites their own survey finding 43 percent of job seekers say cultural fit was their single most important determining factor in choosing a job. This does not mean the larger 57% justifies not making cultural fit an important element, it simply means these other individuals do not consciously see this as a large factor – yet it is still silently inside them.

So how do you hire for cultural fit?

First, do not fall into the trap of using internal employee referral programs. These programs

According to Forbes, it all starts with asking the right questions in the interview process. They recommend questions that go beyond technical abilities. Perhaps, they suggest, these follow a tour of the workplace, letting them attend a team meeting, or taking them to lunch first.

However you preface the interview, asking probing questions allows you to determine if answers indicate a match to your organization. Here are some examples:

  1. That’s a phenomenon accomplishment. How were you able to achieve it?
  2. Tell me about the best supervisor you have ever worked for.
  3. In our company’s mission statement, what impressed you the most?

As you ask these questions remember to let your culture shine through.

“Candidates are evaluating you, just as you’re evaluating them. People forget that. Our goal was to have every person who came for an interview walk away wanting the job. Even if we hated candidates, we wanted them to think, ‘Wow, that was an incredible experience. It was efficient, it was effective, it was on time, the questions were relevant, everyone was smart, and I was treated with dignity’. I would tell people, ‘Even if this person isn’t the right fit, we might love his next-door neighbor.’” Patty McCord of Netflix wrote in Harvard Business Review.

Zappos is a strong believer in cultural fit. They have ten elements of an “oath” all employees must ascribe to. The company, which has been highly respected for making shoes a viable online product, credit cultural fit to their success. Former CEO Tony Hsieh said, “If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself.”

 

Back

What Clients Say About Patrice & Associates

  • Chris Bousquet is Invaluable!

    I want to express my deepest gratitude for the support and guidance provided by Patrice & Associates during my job search. I was greatly impressed by the professionalism and commitment of your team in helping me find the right job opportunity.  In particular, I would like to highlight the invaluable assistance provided by Chris Bousquet, who stood by my side every step of the way in the search and interview process. His dedication and expertise were instrumental in achieving a successful transition to my new position.

     

    Once again, thank you for your assistance and commitment to my professional career. I wish you and the Patrice & Associates team continued success in your work.

     

    Sincerely,

    Miguel Pulla

    Chris Bousquet is Invaluable!
  • Clint Carpenter's standards of Recruiting are TOP NOTCH!

    To begin, Clint Carpenter was the ONLY recruiter I didn't get a generic template e-mail from. He actually took the time to look at my complete resume. In the first few days we spoke, he really took the time in our conversations to get to know what was important to me in a future job as well as what I knew I did not want. He checked in with me every day, whether it was to help coach me for an interview or just follow up if I'd gotten feedback. When I finally did get the offer I wanted, there was a snag and the paperwork with the company was delayed by 2 weeks. It was incredibly frustrating, but Clint called or texted me EVERY single day to encourage me and make sure I was ok as well as doing whatever he could from his end to help facilitate the paperwork. I never felt like I was alone in the job search process. Clint is professional, positive and you can tell he genuinely loves helping people. I would recommend him to anyone!!!!    

    Lethr' Rothert

    Clint Carpenter's standards of Recruiting are TOP NOTCH!
  • Dave took the time to get to know ME, who I am, my experience and my goals

    Dave Evens has been working with me these past couple months as I transition from a restaurant owner toward a corporate environment.  Along with this, I'm relocating from TN to NY.  I feel that he was able to capture my unique experience in the updated resume he created for me.  Dave was great with communicating options and feedback from all sources. It was a true pleasure to work with him.  While we were unable to find a good fit for me, I am blown away by Dave's approach and enthusiasm.  I found a great job, on my own, but I do not feel that reflects poorly on Dave nor Patrice & Associates. When, again, I enter my next job search, I will be sure to reach out to Dave first!

    Sincerely,

    Neil Archibald

    Dave took the time to get to know ME, who I am, my experience and my goals
  • Mike Buterbaugh is genuine and caring

    I honestly didn't know what to expect from Patrice & Associates. Upon my first time speaking with Mr. Mike Buterbaugh, I was instantly put at ease with his genuine approach to helping me find the best fit for me overall in my next career decision. Not only did he coach me on how to drastically improve my resume, he also had me an interview within a couple of days. I have never had an experience quite like this during a job search, but I would definitely give 5 stars to this company and their recruiting team. I have gained a new career that not only met my salary expectations, but balances with my personal life as well. Thanks again for your help, and although I don't plan to be on a search again, if the need arises, they will definitely be my first point of contact.

    Eula

    Mike Buterbaugh is genuine and caring
  • Patrice & Associates Video Client TestimonialsClint Carpenter was wonderful!

    I worked with Clint Carpenter on getting a job. Clint did an amazing job helping me with my resume, walking me through the process and giving me help and interview tips.  He was in communication with me everyday about what was going on and keeping me in the know. I would call on Clint again if I ever needed him!  

    Gary Summers

    Clint Carpenter was wonderful!