4 Smart Strategies Your Business Can Use to Hire for Cultural Fit - and Why You Should Even Care (Guest Blog)

Cultural fit has become something of a buzz term in recent times. Businesses have placed an emphasis on the importance of their culture in their hiring process, and swear by the results that they’re seeing. If you’re looking to implement a similar strategy, it’s relatively easy to get the ball rolling.

Why Should We Care About Cultural Fit?

You’ll see a lot of opinions about cultural fit, but the businesses who hire based on cultural fit do so for a variety of reasons. One of which is that a new hire who blends in with your company culture is likely to mesh well with your existing employees. Because of this, they’re more apt to stick around longer and enjoy their work.

Cultural fit is also important for companies that put a strong focus on teamwork. When everyone is united in the mission, teamwork becomes smooth and seamless. Shared ideas and values produce incredible results, and increase the potential for productivity. Even if people have different opinions, they’re all trying to win the game together.

1. Demonstrate Your Culture

Make videos from the inside of your office. Send out Snapchats, and use Instagram Stories. Show how people are working together. Show what happens when a team comes together to win. People won’t know what exactly your culture is unless they have some kind of an accurate representation of it, and therefore, they won’t know if they can see themselves blending in. People who want a great job that they’ll keep for a long time want to know what it’s like to work for a business like yours. Show them.

2. Be Open and Celebrate Online

If your business has a social media presence, write your posts in your company’s voice. You want that voice to be representative of your company culture. If you’re a laid back, funny environment, let that show. If you’re serious and compassionate, let that translate in your tweets and Facebook posts. People with similar values will gravitate towards you, and you can use social media to recruit them into your office. Plenty of people seek jobs on social media, and you can meet them where they are.

3. Craft a Great Job Description

People who are browsing through job boards will see jobs similar to yours. Research the job posts your competitors are creating, and consider what you can do to infuse the description of your similar job with vibrant pieces of your culture. This will draw in talented candidates who are seeking a purposeful position that they can grow and learn with. They’ll look right past your competitors and run straight into your arms.

4. Allow Candidates to Hang Out

If you’re still unsure whether or not a candidate is a cultural fit, invite that candidate to hang out. Do you have an upcoming business function, or a lighthearted meeting that isn’t too heavy on the work details? Introduce candidates to your current staff. Let them interact and see if they hit it off. You can also hire interns based on culture, and offer permanent positions to the interns who have shown that they’re committed to the same mission that you are.

It’s important to note that culture may shift and evolve with time. Hires who were initially a cultural fit may shift in a different direction, and that’s perfectly normal. Just make sure you frequently communicate with your employees before you make big changes – they’ll feel like they’re a part of things, and feel more compelled to stick beside you throughout your journey.

Author Bio:

Michelle Arios works as an Assistant Manager and Content Creator behind BizDb.co.nz - a professional business directory. Deeply interested in how businesses can grow by finding and hiring right talents, Michelle might often be found online, sharing her suggestions with both business owners and job seekers. Feel free to reach out to her on @MichelleArios.