Why You Should Hire for Culture Add Rather Than Culture Fit
With the war for talent being so prominent these days, you may be focused on building an organization where the mission and core values reflect an environment where job seekers desperately desire to be a part of your organization. And while you are seeking talent, you may be on the hunt for someone who embodies those values and can be a reflection of your organization. Culture fit is the term. It makes total sense, right? To hire someone well suited for the organization, from skills and experience to behaviors and beliefs. Not so fast! While this may seem like a dream come true, what you may want to do instead is hire someone based on the concept of culture add.
Like the missing piece to a puzzle, someone with different points of view and beliefs can highly benefit your organization. You see, when you hire based on culture fit, you may actually send out a message that portrays you as a “Mean Girl” company – you can’t sit with us. Hiring for “culture fit” alone reinforces the look of your organization as it stands right now. When you do this, you aren’t focusing on the possibilities and potential of your company’s success. You are limiting the diversity of your business. Don’t forget, diversity is one of the top things job seekers look into when making a decision on their next challenge.
You do not want to miss out on great talent simply because that great talent doesn’t look or act like everyone else in your organization. Falling into a pattern of repetitiveness can be dangerous for the future of your organization. Think of what a culture add candidate can bring to the table. Having a different perspective can help move your company in the right direction that perhaps would not have happened if you had hired for culture fit.
Culture add means you will be looking and interviewing each candidate based on what they bring to the table that isn’t already there. This will not only help with the diversity landscape of your organization but also with fighting off biases.
Next time you are interviewing someone for a position ask yourself the following questions:
What does this candidate bring to the team that we might be missing in our culture?
How does this candidate challenge our company and our current processes?
Does this candidate represent a viewpoint we may be missing?
What is this candidate’s work style, philosophy, and energy?
Another thing to consider is to eliminate the term “culture fit” from your hiring process. Everyone has something to contribute to the success of your organization. We challenge you to shift your perspective from culture fit to culture add and watch just how beneficial it is to your organization.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any experience with the terms culture fit and culture add? Let us know!
