Hiring for culture and values

COMPANIES HAVE BEEN TALKING FOR YEARS about the importance of culture fit when hiring a new employee. But we’ve now discovered it can be a big trap.

When someone fits well into your culture, it means that they’re pretty much just like you. Which then leads to a homogeneous company, stifled creativity, and stagnation.

Not that you want to hire someone who hates your organization’s culture. But … you do want to stretch it.

Your culture should be a somewhat dynamic thing, not static.

Here’s what to change the concept to: looking for an alignment of values. And the organization’s values more than just your own.

Let’s say that your company deeply strives for honesty, fairness, and outrageous customer service. If you hire someone who isn’t aligned with these, neither you nor they will be happy.

And you certainly don’t want to hire someone in with the intention to change their values.  Skills, sure. But not values.

Within the deeply held values, look for people with the energy and creativity to bring new ways of thinking to how you achieve them. There are plenty of great ways to demonstrate an alignment with honesty, or do become even more outrageously customer centric.

But don’t sacrifice your deep values, or ask employees to do it either.