Does hiring a cultural fit matter?

Since she started her professional career seven years ago, Saroj, who uses only one name, has worked with five companies. Over the years, she’s observed one thing: being a good “cultural fit” for a company positively impacts her happiness, productivity and motivation at work. At one company, the focus on innovation and teamwork matched her work style “perfectly”, making the job both “enjoyable and fulfilling”, says the 30-year-old. “Another organisation valued a balanced work-life approach, which contributed to my overall well-being.” Such experiences have made her realise that a strong cultural fit can significantly enhance job satisfaction and performance—a learning she now applies and prioritises in hiring people for the organisation she co-founded last year, ZealGrit Social Welfare Foundation, based in Bihar’s Triveniganj.

“Cultural fit” generally refers to how in sync an employee is with the culture of an organisation. In corporate speak, a “culture fit” is a person with values, goals, practices and beliefs that align with that of their employer. Having a culturally fit employee certainly makes sense to create a thriving and diverse workplace.

Companies want employees who align with their values and goals, and employees look for the same to have a more fulfilling career. But is it enough to hire someone based on their ability to look the part, speak the same language, or fit into a company? Aren’t factors like talent, experience and skills much more important?

Unconscious or conscious biases play a part in hiring people, possibly resulting in an echo chamber of similar opinions, backgrounds and personalities.

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Having people from diverse backgrounds, skills, experience and viewpoints can help with creative solutions, varied perspectives, more tolerance and openness, greater learning and make for a more inclusive environment, say experts.

Global human resource (HR) services company GI Group Holding has found that employees who fit well culturally tend to collaborate more effectively, contribute positively to team dynamics, and have higher job satisfaction.

“However, it’s crucial that cultural fit is balanced with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to create a dynamic and inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone can thrive,” says Daniele Merlerati, chief regional officer, APAC (Asia Pacific), Baltics & Benelux.

Saroj agrees. “As a founder of a new social organisation, cultural fit means finding individuals who not only possess the necessary job-related skills but also share our vision and core values of integrity and collaboration,” says Saroj. At ZealGrit, presently, the employers prioritise candidates who align with their values over technically superior ones.

“Our work involves engaging with underprivileged communities in rural Bihar, where recreational activities are scarce,” explains Saroj. “We sought people who could find peace and satisfaction in their work.”

While merit and skills are important, Saroj believes technical skills can be taught to a certain extent, while values, morals and cultural alignment cannot be imparted as easily.

Finding a Balance

The balance that Merlerati highlights should be the ideal aim, but it can be difficult to achieve.

Research shows that hiring or retaining employees based on them being a cultural fit can lead to discrimination.

For instance, a 2018 study of 1,000 people in the UK by employment law firm Crossland Employment Solicitors found one-third of the respondents saying they were less likely to hire transgender workers.

In non-profit Generation’s 2021 survey of hiring managers in seven countries, “Meeting The World’s Midcareer Moment”, only 15% said they would consider those over 45 years of age applying for entry-level roles as a good cultural fit.

Delhi-based social development professional Tanisha Christo recalls a prior role at an international non-profit where she was on the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) team, and one of the tasks was to explore the organisation’s hiring practices.

“Our work involved cross-cultural projects and teams, and we wanted people who could adapt well. Yet, we also realised that our unconscious biases affected who we were inclined to hire,” she says.

“Seeing someone as a cultural fit because of where they were from, how they spoke and their hobbies, were not the right measures of suitability for a job.” It was easy to meet the diversity goals in terms of gender and ethnic diversity, while ignoring other measures of diversity like age, language or socio-economic background, Christo adds.

Companies acknowledge the difficulties, when it comes to hiring based on cultural fit. “It’s challenging to completely set aside biases while evaluating a candidate,” says Rahul Mathur, senior partner (infrastructure, construction and real estate practice), at executive search company Transearch India. “We tend to favour individuals who think like us, look like us, or have similar personalities.”

The problem, Mathur says, is that many companies still use an unstructured, subjective impression-based approach when considering cultural fit. They assess a candidate on industry background, business school, educational qualification or socioeconomic status, he adds. “These factors are not absolute predictors of cultural fit,” Mathur says. “It’s essential to delve into a candidate’s thinking style and preferences to understand their cultural alignment.” And things are changing, the approach to cultural assessment evolving from a subconscious, individual basis to a more rigorous, structured, and process-driven method, he adds.

What’s the answer?

Mathur has seen advanced interviewing techniques, multiple interviewers, and various assessment tools like psychometric tests, role plays, and case studies, minimise individual bias during assessment.

It can be premature to dismiss a candidate because they may not be a perfect fit initially, something which emotional wellness platform YourDOST acknowledges.

“Some attributes can be challenging to gauge during interviews, and we cannot expect every candidate to fully embody them initially,” says Richa Singh, co-founder and chief executive of YourDOST . Their approach includes comprehensive training, orientations and workshops to help instil the values. YourDOST also uses Competency Iceberg Metrics, where candidates are evaluated on skills, knowledge and personality traits. “This framework makes the process as objective as possible and independent of the person recruiting.”

But how does an organization balance an emphasis on cultural fit with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, where the search for someone who “fits the mould” may dismiss those who are different?

Merlerati sees both goals as complementary, rather than contradictory. “Our approach is to focus on shared values such as respect, collaboration and openness to diverse perspectives, which are foundational to both DEI and cultural fit,” Merlerati says. One should assess candidates on their ability to contribute to the organisation’s DEI principles and practices.

“Previously, if you didn’t attend an Ivy League college or hail from a specific socioeconomic, racial, or cultural background, you were unlikely to secure a position,” says Mathur. He believes the “mould” has changed over time, with today’s organisational culture being defined by values and cultural traits rather than superficial characteristics like race, gender, or upbringing. “The notion that people like ‘us’ are the only ones suitable for these roles is outdated. Diversity now enriches organisations by bringing different perspectives that align with the organization’s values,” Mathur says.

Skills and experience alone do not make a worthy candidate. Being a cultural fit is a desired component in the mix as well. However, there will always be a degree of subjectivity and arbitrariness to assessing people on being a cultural fit, and there must be continual improvement to ensure the process is as inclusive and objective as possible.

“Cultural fit is desirable when it is beneficial in bringing the team together, in better understanding client needs, or improving quality in projects,” says Christo. “But not when it forms divides between groups of people that are otherwise capable and qualified.”

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