For years, recruiters and hiring managers have championed the term "cultural fit" as the holy grail of hiring. The idea was simple: find someone who would slot seamlessly into the existing team, share the same values, and instantly feel like "one of us." It sounded great in theory, but in practice, this approach often became a subtle form of bias, leading to homogeneous teams and stifled innovation.
The concept of hiring for "fit" is now rightly being challenged. As businesses across the U.K. and beyond prioritise diversity and inclusion, we've come to realise that a team of people who all think, act, and speak the same way is a recipe for stagnation. True success comes from diverse perspectives and fresh ideas.
This guide is designed to help you move beyond the vague and often biased notion of "cultural fit" and embrace a more inclusive, effective approach. We’ll show you how to articulate your company’s culture in a way that attracts a wide range of top talent, not just those who look and sound like your existing employees.
At its core, the traditional concept of cultural fit is flawed because it's built on a subjective, and often unconscious, bias. It’s easy for a hiring manager to say a candidate "just didn't feel like a good fit," but what does that really mean? Often, it translates to:
They didn't look like us.
They didn't have the same background as us.
They didn't socialise in the same way we do.
This "mini-me" syndrome leads to hiring people who are most similar to us, which results in a lack of diversity in all its forms—ethnic, socio-economic, cognitive, and experiential. This lack of diversity can have significant negative consequences:
Stifled Innovation: When everyone thinks alike, there’s no one to challenge the status quo. Groupthink becomes the norm, and new, creative solutions are rarely proposed.
Limited Problem-Solving: Diverse teams are better at solving complex problems. They approach issues from different angles, leading to more robust and comprehensive solutions. A homogeneous team will likely only see one path forward.
Poor Employee Engagement: Employees from underrepresented backgrounds can feel isolated or excluded if the culture is not genuinely inclusive. This leads to higher turnover and a negative impact on morale.
Legal and Ethical Risks: Over time, a hiring process based on subjective "fit" can open a company up to accusations of discrimination, creating a damaging impact on your brand and potential legal challenges.
The modern, progressive alternative to "cultural fit" is hiring for "cultural add." This paradigm shift acknowledges that a company's culture is not a static entity but a living, breathing ecosystem that should grow and evolve with every new hire.
Hiring for "cultural add" means looking for candidates who:
Bring new skills and perspectives to the team.
Introduce new ways of thinking that challenge existing processes.
Enhance the company’s mission and values in unique and unexpected ways.
This approach celebrates difference and sees a candidate’s unique background as a strength, not a potential obstacle. It's about building a richer, more resilient, and more dynamic team that is better equipped to succeed in a competitive and ever-changing market.
So, how do you describe your company's culture in a way that attracts diverse talent and highlights your commitment to a "cultural add" approach? The key is to move away from vague adjectives and towards specific, observable behaviours.
Instead of describing your company with broad, potentially biased words, describe the day-to-day behaviours that define your workplace.
Avoid: "We are a close-knit family."
Reasoning: This can imply that a new hire must conform to a specific social dynamic, potentially excluding introverts or those with different social needs.
Instead, say: "We value collaboration and communication. Every Tuesday, we hold a team-wide stand-up to share project updates, and we use tools like Slack to ensure everyone stays in the loop, regardless of their location."
Reasoning: This describes a clear, observable process that a candidate can either picture themselves participating in or not.
Vague adjectives like "innovative," "fast-paced," or "agile" are overused and mean different things to different people. Prove your culture with tangible examples.
Avoid: "We are an innovative company."
Instead, say: "Innovation is a core part of our mission. For example, every quarter, we host a company-wide 'Hackathon' where employees from any department can pitch and build a new idea. The winning idea receives a budget to be developed into a real product."
Avoid: "We have a great work-life balance."
Instead, say: "Work-life balance is a top priority. We offer a 4-day work week, and we have a strict ‘no emails after 6 pm’ policy to ensure everyone can switch off and recharge."
Your company’s values shouldn't just be words on a wall; they should be the principles that guide every decision. When you describe your culture, explain how these values are put into practice.
Value: Transparency.
In Action: "Our CEO holds a monthly 'Ask Me Anything' session, where any employee can ask questions about company strategy, finances, and performance. All financial reports are available to every employee on our intranet."
Value: Customer Obsession.
In Action: "We empower every employee, from our marketing team to our engineers, to spend one day a month on the customer support hotline. This helps us all stay connected to our customers' needs and challenges."
A truly modern company culture prioritises making everyone feel welcome and valued. Don’t just mention that you’re diverse; explain how you actively foster an inclusive environment.
In Action: "We have several employee resource groups (ERGs) for our LGBTQ+ community, women in leadership, and BAME employees. These groups receive a budget and are supported by senior leadership to organise events, workshops, and mentorship programmes."
In Action: "Our onboarding programme includes mandatory unconscious bias training for all new hires and managers. We also have a clear feedback mechanism that allows employees to anonymously raise concerns about workplace culture."
A great job description is just the beginning. The interview process itself must reflect your commitment to a "cultural add" approach.
Instead of a free-flowing chat, use a set of structured questions for every candidate. This ensures that everyone is evaluated on the same criteria, reducing the potential for unconscious bias.
Focus your questions on past behaviours rather than abstract personality traits. This allows you to evaluate how a candidate would actually act in a given situation.
Avoid: "Are you a good team player?"
Instead, ask: "Tell me about a time you had to work with a team member who had a different working style from you. How did you adapt, and what was the outcome?"
Instead of asking, "Will this person fit in?" ask, "What unique perspective or skill will this person bring to our team? How will their background enhance our existing culture?" This reframes the entire evaluation process.
Just as you want candidates to be authentic, you should be too. Be honest about your company's challenges and areas for growth. A candidate who knows what they're getting into is more likely to be a long-term, committed employee.
The term "cultural fit" has had its time, and it’s now time to retire it. In its place, let's embrace a more nuanced, intentional, and inclusive approach to hiring and company culture.
By focusing on tangible behaviours, providing concrete examples, and celebrating the unique perspectives that every individual brings, you can build a company culture that is not just a comfortable place for some, but a dynamic and exciting environment where everyone can thrive. This shift from "fit" to "add" is not just about being a better company; it’s about building a better, more innovative, and more successful business for the long term.
