Hiring for a Cultural Fit

If you’ve worked with Noble Futures, either as a client or candidate, you may have heard us discussing Cultural Fit. When we take on a search for a new role, we don’t just evaluate candidates on their experience and qualifications – the functional fit – we also take into consideration how well they may fit in with their new colleagues in work style and personality – the cultural fit.

This week in the blog, we wanted to explain further and help those unsure of what Cultural Fit is (and what it isn’t) and how vital it is to building a successful and vibrant team in the workplace.

The essentials of a company’s culture

Just like people, businesses and brands all have an individual personality or culture. The business culture will encompass a brand’s values, beliefs and behaviours in how they deliver their work and the setting in the workplace.

It can stem from the founders and highest management in a company but is also developed through the collective workforce of employees, including interactions between management and their reporting staff and the environment and atmosphere in which the teams work.

It seems simple but it is crucial to understand that hiring for a cultural fit does not mean recruiting people who are identical in race, age, sex or sexual orientation. Hiring for a cultural fit should not be used to discriminate against diversity. (Look out for an upcoming blog post on the benefits of a diverse workforce) but it should be about building a team of employees who feel connected to the values of the business and clicks naturally with its styles of working and the personality of the brand.

The benefits of hiring for Cultural Fit

Employee Success and Productivity
An employee who feels well-matched with their company’s values and beliefs is more likely to feel a purpose with the work they are doing and in turn, work harder to see their brand succeed.
When team members feel committed and engaged, it means they are more confident in their work and the productivity of the team is greatly improved. Poor workplace culture is a natural productivity drain as an employees feelings of dissatisfaction, resentment or frustration will all take an impact on performance and quality of work.

Internal communication and cohesion
When priorities are aligned it allows the team to work together easier and function smoothly than clashing of work styles or ethics. When similar values of a personality are at the core, it makes it easier to unite, build and manage than a that is fractured and disjointed with internal disruptions.

Teams that feel united are also known to have stronger communication skills as they are far more interested in collaborative working and hearing colleagues suggestions as opinions are respected when believed they come from the same value and brand mission.
Staff Retention
And these above benefits, also lead to one huge benefit for an employer, an increased and stable staff retention rate. Without clashes of personalities, management styles and a fractured environment, employees are able to see their work as an enjoyable and purposeful part of their lives, that aligns with their lifestyle and goals.

For some, it is considered that culture fit is the most important aspect of retaining employees. Employees that don’t fit well with the values of your company won’t be satisfied in their jobs and have the potential to create a toxic work environment, ultimately meaning they are more likely to leave or make those around them consider leaving too.

How we can help

Hiring with cultural fit in mind is not always the easiest task for companies, and this is where a dedicated and trusted recruiter can help make those assessments in early screening. An initial call with your Noble Futures consultant to discuss a new role does not only include the functional elements of what you need but a greater conversation about who you are as a brand and how we can find your next colleague who is aligned with those values and personality.

If you’d like to know more about hiring for a cultural fit, or how Noble Futures can help support your recruitment needs, or find you a new role with a company better suited to your personality – then please call the team on 0161 820 3510 or email us at [email protected] where one of our consultants would be happy to help.