It’s growing increasingly difficult for organizations to find and retain talent. As a result, more employers search for and hire job candidates who are a good fit for the current corporate culture.
Today, hiring managers look for diverse job candidates who not only support corporate culture but can also help the company to grow. By doing so, recruiters have a better chance of securing talent that will stay with the company.
“Cultural fit” goes beyond race and ethnicity; it’s about personality and attitude. The cultural fit interview might include questions about what hobbies you have, what food you like, what your values are, and a range of other personality questions.
The interviewer is trying to get a sense of whether your values align with the values of the company. Smaller companies are more likely to emphasize this as an important factor in the hiring decision.
The following are five tips to help you nail the cultural fit interview.
1. Know the Lay of the Land
The first step in nailing the cultural fit interview is understanding a company’s corporate culture. It takes time to sum up a company’s corporate culture because everything doesn’t fit neatly into one basket. Begin your research by exploring:
- Company social media pages
- Company reviews
- Social media pictures
- The company career portal
Also, ask around about the company, whether through online forums or face-to-face with professional peers.
2. Ask the Right Questions
Make sure you ask the interviewer questions about the company culture during the interview. For example, ask about the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. By doing so, you’ll gain a sense of how the company operates and show that you’re interested in the company’s values.
3. Find a Natural Fit
After you’ve researched a company’s corporate culture, make an honest assessment of whether your beliefs align with those values. If so, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to struggle with the corporate culture interview portion of your interview. What you will need to do, however, is verbalize how your beliefs align with the company’s culture and values when facing the recruiter.
4. Show the Hiring Manager That You Plan to Stay Put
Recruiters look for job candidates who are a cultural fit because they want someone who will stay with the company. Accordingly, they must find potential hires who understand the company’s goals and value teamwork. More importantly, however, they need job candidates whose long-term interests align with that of the company.
5. Show the Recruiter Why Different Is Better
Some recruiters unintentionally overlook diversity when looking for job candidates who fit in with the current corporate culture – a phenomenon called unconscious bias. When this happens, recruiters subconsciously favor job candidates from the same background. If you believe in the company’s mission, it’s your job to show the recruiter how your unique background, political beliefs, and experiences can help a company achieve its goals.
Today, it’s growing increasingly important to demonstrate cultural fit during an interview. It’s more important, however, that you’re honest about how you feel about the company’s mission.
If you ace the interview and land the job, you’ll spend most of your time working for the company. You want to make sure that you’re satisfied with the experience.
It’s a losing proposition for both you and the company to try and remake yourself into someone you are not. Accordingly, it’s essential that you’re honest about how you feel about a company’s mission and corporate culture.
There are more job openings than you can ever apply for in a single lifetime. By taking the time to find a company that aligns with your personal values, you’ll find a role that will satisfy your personal and professional needs.
For more great career tips, check out the other blogs on Career Geek.