So it seems to me that more & more clients are leaning towards the best “cultural fit” versus the best fit from a technical standpoint. Meaning what you ask? Meaning they are selecting new candidates from a breakdown of what you are able to provide to the employer based on what the role requires.
BBC reported this in an article that was published on the 20th of this month.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean
In the article they discuss that not being that right fit is not a good enough reason, but I’d like to argue that it should be. I agree with a lot that the article talks about. I am by no means saying you should hire solely on cultural fit, absolutely not. However, it should be something that is part of the over all equation.
A lot of companies, especially now have a high turn over rate & I’d like to say that it is probably not just in part do to the qualification standpoints. When people get interviewed they go through the ringer half the time. So its probably low production value or ——> bad connections with the individuals that they are being asked to work with day in & day out.
Example: Lauren is a super hyper active, energetic, put her head down, non water cooler talk type person when she is working for her employer. (She always have been) She is a competitive & likes to be #1 in all that she does. Her vibe might not necessarily work with other employees. Some might think she is cold, rude or maybe too confident. She doesn’t know why people think that way, she has received all kinds of criticism & gets talked about enough to call it quits. A good employee gone due to a bad connection with her counter parts. Doesn’t mean that she isn’t a great employee, it just means she didn’t vibe well with that specific team.
I think that ‘vibe’ should be just as important. Why? Again, because its time & money spent to hire an individual & then either you fire them or they quit because this simple lack of connection. What are you thoughts?
So what does that mean for you as the candidate that is seeking to be hired. Whats a good check list of things you should target during an interview to better align yourself with a client.
Well first off, there is going to be an immediate connection with the one conducting the interview from the get go. That first 5 minutes is crucial to that “cultural fit” vibe you will be giving off.
Are you warm & friendly? Did you add a little humor or wittiness to your introduction? If you didn’t well don’t sweat it. You still have opportunities that lay in front of you. Find mutual ground with the one that is conducting the interview. Here are some topics to break that ice to build upon a light conversation before you get knee deep into your qualifications:
- The weather is a great easy ice breaker & one that everyone leans on from time to time.
- Family & whether they have kids. Who doesn’t like to talk about their children?
- How did they get hired & how do they like it? How long have they been with the company.
- Talk about non-controversial current events. (This doesn’t mean politics! Worst subject ever unless you know what side they lie on)
- Sports that are local to the city you are interviewing for.
- Vacation & whether or not they are going to go anywhere during the holidays.
Those are all great talking points that also give you the opportunity to talk about yourself from that non-technical standpoint. Gives you that relatability card & they get to gage whether or not you might be the right fit for them.
You can also ask about the team that the role would be submersed with in. Who are those key players? And, if by chance you land that interview, make sure to find out as much as you can about that individual ahead of time (via social media outlets: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) so you can get even more relatable information.
That cultural vibe is good for the long haul, so I can understand why that would be important for any company. You want a candidate that doesn’t necessarily share every belief but that is some what closely aligned. After all, you are there the majority of the work week; your co-workers will by default become your family. Wouldn’t you want to be able to pick your work family if you could?
