Hire for “Culture Add”, not “Culture Fit”
I am sure you have read the phrase in interviewer notes before: “The candidate was not a good Culture Fit.” And off goes the candidate’s resume to grow the REJECTED pile…
But what exactly do people mean when they say “Culture Fit”? Deep inside, it shows affinity bias (perhaps unconscious, but affinity bias nonetheless):
Affinity bias, also known as similarity bias, is the tendency people have to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds.
Left unchecked, we have an unconscious tendency to look for others that “look like us,” people from circles that we frequent, or from schools or backgrounds we are familiar with. Think not? Look up the term “homophily”, a little known term from the field of psychology: “the tendency for humans to associate themselves with people who have similar backgrounds and views on life.”
So what’s the big deal to want to surround yourself with co-workers that you feel comfortable around?
Aiming for “Culture Fit” might mean you are not hiring the best possible candidate, but one you feel comfortable with. An article by Business Insider used to be titled “Managers Hire People Who Remind Them of Themselves”, and has since been renamed “If You Want To Get Hired, Act Like Your Potential Boss,” to give readers looking for a job tips on how to game the unconscious of the interviewer.
Aiming for “Culture Fit” limits diversity. As a hiring manager you want to have a diverse team members to consider various of perspectives and strengthen your team. As a company, you want to bring in perspectives across the spectrum in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, etc. because your target audience is going to reflect this diversity as well.
Aiming for “Culture Fit” is short-sighted, because your culture is bound to evolve.
Does this mean you should NOT hire people “like you”? Not necessarily, but resist the immediate urge. Make sure you don’t jump to hiring the first candidate you like, or hiring someone you know right away. Approaches like blind resume screening, structural interviewing and behavioral Interviewing, and pushing back on any interview feedback that based a decision to not hire on the candidate not being a good “Culture Fit” are all good places to start.
What do you do at your company to hire for “Culture Add” and not for “Culture Fit”?
