Recruiting and selection: should you prioritize cultural fit or cultural contribution?
The board of a well-known company is seated around a large round table. In front of them are two photos of candidates who would be a good fit for the new communications manager position. Will they go for the “culture fit” or the “culture add”?
The young man who walked in immediately hit it off with everyone; there was laughter, and after the formalities were out of the way, it turned out he could also join the company’s cycling group. The woman, a mother of three, was polite and friendly. When they asked what her husband did for a living, however, she gave an awkward response. She mentioned that her friend worked in education and added, “Yes, of course that’s an option too.” Both candidates are suitable, but who will they choose?
Culture fit vs. culture add
The advice is to prioritize the cultural fit for your company during the recruitment and selection process. But why would you choose an employee you don’t yet understand well, instead of the colleague with whom you can have a beer after work without a second thought? Diversity isn’t just a moral choice or the “woke” option; repeated research by McKinsey(2020) shows that diverse talent also delivers tangible business value.
Organizations with diverse teams are more likely to outperform those without diverse teams financially. This isn’t surprising, as different perspectives lead to greater creativity and increase the likelihood of being innovative in the marketplace. Diverse teams solve problems more quickly and make better decisions that benefit a broader audience. Finally, employees in a diverse workplace are more engaged, stay longer, and create a larger talent pool from which to recruit new talent. (Dutch government, n.d.)
So, for your next job opening, start by defining the minimum basic requirements, and then look for the cultural fit that can take your company to the next level.
.avif)
