What everyone is looking for: Culture.
What everyone is looking for: Culture.
Last month, I had a candidate decline a competitive job offer from one of my favorite clients. After really diving into why he went with another offer, it ultimately came down to “culture fit” for him.
I am almost embarrassed to admit that when my candidate shared how impressed he was with the other company’s core values –even asking him to do a final presentation at the end about how his personal values align with theirs - I encouraged him not to get too caught up in the presentation of everything. There is a lot more to culture than the mission, vision, values (MVV).
Don’t get me wrong, I give major kudos to the company my candidate went to. Their HR team has been able to create an interview process that allows them to effectively communicate who they are, what it’d be like to work there, and that they care about hiring quality people that align with their MVV. My worry, however, is that we live in a world where the better video or soundbite trumps logic sometimes. The truth of the matter is that millennials and zoomers (Gen-Z) look to be and feel connected; both generations are suckers for buzz words and a good presentation – we all know it. I know firsthand most people are searching for something very specific in their next employee/employer, but not everyone knows what to ask during the interview process to find the right match.
Let’s discuss culture at a high-level, and some questions prospective employees and hiring managers can use to determine culture fit a bit better.
Culture fit is a two-way street.
Finding the right culture fit is a two-way street. According to The Balance Career, workplace culture is made up of “…values, beliefs, attitudes, expectations, and behaviors shared by employees in your organization, from management down to entry-level workers.”
The interview process is not only meant for employers to determine who they want to hire. Many of us find it important to work with people we like, for a company that values similar things that we do, and feel like we’re doing some meaningful work. Asking the right questions and actively listening to the responses should hopefully get you everything you hope to know.
When putting together a list of questions to assess fit, very similar to a behavioral based interview, you want to ask open-ended questions that would give insight into what this individual finds important in the workplace, how they handle tough situations, what they expect from their teammates, etc.
As a candidate, here are examples of cultural interview questions you can ask during an interview to help you get started:
How would you describe the work environment?
What is your company's approach to team building and career development?
How does your company respond to and overcome failures?
What’s your management style?
How are employees recognized for their efforts?
What is the work-life balance like here?
Does the company host social outings or events for employees?
What personality traits do you look for in your ideal team members?
What are your company values?
Is the company's strategic approach driven by processes or results?
What role does a good manager play in his or her relationship with reporting staffing members?
Do the company's different departments ever collaborate with one another? If so, could you provide me with an example? If not, how come?
What kinds of people seem to succeed in this company/department?
As a hiring manager, here are examples of cultural interview questions from TalentLyft for hiring managers:
Describe the type of work environment in which you can really give your best and be most productive.
Did you become a really good friend with any of your colleagues at your previous (or current) workplace? What do you think about having close relationships with your coworkers? Is this a good or a bad practice?
Describe a situation where your colleagues disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team? Please explain your answer.
What is your opinion about taking work home with you? Do you usually take your work home? Is it good practice in your opinion?
Name three things that you like the most about our company.
Describe a challenging situation you have faced recently at work, and how you tackled it.
What are you passionate about?
What does your ideal work day look like?
What are, in your opinion, the key ingredients in maintaining successful business relationships?
Tell me about the most stressful situation you faced at work. What happened? How did you handle it?
Whether you are a candidate or hiring manger, hopefully you can take one or two of these questions and use them during your next interview. Culture is beyond what the company showcases online, or how many perks you receive at a company. Culture fit is not about the right look a candidate may have, or how prestigious of a university they attended. Make sure you align yourself with the right people and the right opportunity by asking the right questions. The questions you ask should get you the answers you’re looking for. Time to think outside of the box if you have not yet done so!
What is your go-to interview question as a hiring manager or candidate? I’d love to hear from you.
