WHAT IS CULTURAL FIT? AND, WHY IS CULTURAL FIT IMPORTANT IN THE WORKPLACE?

Like a person, every business has a unique personality and it is called business culture. Today, a lot of business leaders and hiring managers are recognizing the significance of hiring candidates having the personality and business attributes to match the values, beliefs, and attitudes upheld in their organization.

If you are running a small business that is striving hard to build a company culture, it is vital that you make sure your next hire fits in within that culture; otherwise, there could be potential problems later.

Culture-fit hiring is focused on ensuring congruence between the candidate and the values of the business. It is applicable in both ways. Prospective employees are also looking for culture fit. The present millennial generation in particular is becoming more aware of the type of employer they work for.

In this post, we will be exploring what is a cultural fit and why is cultural fit important in the workplace?

What is Cultural Fit?

A company’s culture is defined as the values and beliefs of the company’s founders through the collective force of employees, the interaction between employees and the management team, and the environment in which they work.

This is like an ecosystem involving a complex network of components, organism including humans, technology, system, tools, etc which we need to work.

And like variations in an individual’s personality, business culture varies from one company to another company. This is why, some people fit into one set of business values and a specific working environment, but not in others.

When interviewing a prospective employee, finding a culturally fit employee means finding someone who believes in your company’s vision and holds a similar attitude and outlook as his or her potential colleagues.

Why is Cultural Fit important in the Workplace?

Generally, people spend more than a third of their lifetimes in the workplace. With so much time spent working, it is very important that those long hours are not miserable ones. Besides, there are some additional reasons why hiring for cultural fit is crucial:

• Employee Engagement: When an employee’s thoughts match with those of the company where they work, they are more likely to be committed to the company, and go above and beyond to grow with the team. It is mostly seen that people who are in jobs that match their personality are more confident and competent. This level of employee engagement is required to grow a business.
• Productivity: In a company where employees believe in the mission and values of the business are generally more productive. Poor culture is known as a productivity drain.
• Communication: Companies having a strong culture can focus on collaborative working processes and open communication. When values are aligned, employees naturally find it easier to communicate.
• Employee Retention: If your employees do not feel connected and happy, then you have a staff retention problem on your hands. You also face issues of presenters and absenteeism. When employees do not mesh well with the values of your business, they will not be satisfied in their jobs and have the potential to create a toxic work environment. They are more likely to leave.

Last but not the least

Hopefully, now you know what is cultural fit and why cultural fit is important in the workplace. Finding the right cultural fit for your business can positively impact your business- and it’s clear that there are more ways than one.

Well, before you can hire for your work culture, you must define it. What are your company’s values? What are the mindsets, behaviours that make your teams tick.

GoodSpace can help you in finding a suitable candidate. Install the app to streamline your professional journey.