You apply for the job. You take the tests. You complete the interviews. You know you can do the job, but you don’t get hired. What’s missing? What went wrong? What are companies really looking for?
Many companies have quite a complex hiring process. They evaluate job candidates for things like cognitive abilities and integrity. They assess candidates’ job knowledge and, where appropriate, they give applicants opportunities to demonstrate their skills. But, more and more, in addition to this extensive screening, companies screen applicants for how well they fit the culture of the organization. To evaluate for culture fit, they try to understand if the work of the organization will feel meaningful to the applicant. And they assess whether the applicant’s values are in harmony with the organization’s core values. Companies know the importance of evaluating not just the capabilities, competencies, and character of the individual, but also the person’s fit with the organization’s culture.
How well a job candidate fits the culture of a workplace can make the difference between job search success and failure. Candidates who are selected on the basis of culture fit—in addition to job fit—contribute faster, perform better, and stay longer with the organization. When hiring professionals neglect culture fit, the company and the employee share the burden. Working at a company whose guiding principles and values are inconsistent with yours can be difficult, stressful, and unrewarding. As you experience situations that conflict with your values, you discover how important those values are to you as a person.
So in your job search, be sure to decide if the workplace is a good fit for you. Making a culture fit assessment involves taking these three steps:
1) First, clarify your personal Ps—your purpose and principles.
a. Your purpose: What type of work feels meaningful to you? Compile a list of things that matter to you. For example, do you want to create happiness for others? Do you want to improve health or save lives? Do you want to preserve the environment? There are many ways you could make a contribution to society through your work. Think about any issues you are drawn to and passionate about. How would you like to use your talents to contribute to a better world? Often, there are several areas that would feel fulfilling. Try to uncover all the purposes that would add meaning to your life.
b. Your principles: What principles and values are central to who you are and genuinely guide how you live? Many values may seem important. But only isolate those values that would be necessary in a workplace to feel a sense of harmony working there. Clarifying your most important values will guide you in assessing a workplace for culture fit.
2) Understand the core culture of each prospective workplace: its purpose, philosophy, and priorities.
a. The organization’s purpose: Why does the organization exist? Why is the work of this organization important to society? Organizations exist to make a difference. Employees of that organization are a part of that legacy.
b. The organization’s philosophy: What is distinctive and enduring to the character of the organization? What principles and values have guided how employees work over the years? What makes this organization feel different from its competitors? An organization seeks to infuse its few prime principles and values into all employee actions and behaviors. Therefore, employees must not only understand these principles and values but also live by them effortlessly.
c. The organization’s priorities: What are the areas the organization is focusing on and paying attention to? What are its goals related to its customers and markets? What are its goals related to increasing employee engagement? What are the priorities now, not only organization-wide, but also for the area where you would work? Although these values may not be enduring like the philosophy, they are critical to the success of the organization at this point in time.
3) Audit the alignment of your personal Ps with the core culture of each workplace you are considering. Then, decide whether or not the workplace is the right place for you. Each workplace may have positive and negative aspects. There may not be a perfect match, but you will be able to put your options on a continuum of choices. And, with this knowledge, you can more effectively sell yourself when you interview for the job you want.
Do not leave the prospect of harmony between you and an organization to chance. Be clear about what is important to you and where you will find meaningfulness and harmony at work. Only then can you offer your finest gifts.
To hear more on this topic, attend Sheila's session Using Culture Fit to Help Your Employees Thrive at our International Conference and Exposition in Atlanta on May 22.
To read more from Sheila Margolis about identifying your best work environment, read her chapter in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing a Job You’ll Love.
