Hiring for Cultural Fit - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

A former student called me to talk about a recent situation where she applied for a senior level nursing position in an organization and was told after a series of interviews that she was not a good cultural fit. She was surprised at this because she felt during the interview process that her values and beliefs were in good alignment with the organization. She was not quite sure what to do with the information she had been given or what improvements she could make moving forward.

It was challenging to help her because I had not been part of these interviews and was not certain how she had presented herself and her ideas. Her concern was that “cultural fit” was being used as an excuse when the organization had probably decided in advance to select the internal candidate who ultimately was selected.

Many organizations today use screening tools to evaluate potential job applicants for cultural fit. We know that culture fit is the glue that holds an organization together. That’s why it’s a key trait to look for when recruiting. Cultural fit is the likelihood that someone will reflect and/or be able to adapt to the core beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that make up your organization. The result of poor culture fit due to turnover can be costly to an organization. The data is clear that outside candidates have a higher failure rate than internal ones because of cultural fit issues.

Yet,the challenge for candidates is that getting a very clear read on an organization’s culture requires extensive due diligence. There is also growing concern about how looking for culture fit can lead to discrimination against candidates and a lack of diversity. It’s important to understand that hiring for culture fit doesn’t mean hiring people who are all the same. The values and attributes that make up an organizational culture can and should be reflected in a richly diverse workforce. Candidates should have the ability to “add to the culture” in a positive way.

To assess cultural fit, Katie Bouton writes in an HBR blog that the following questions are often asked during interview:

What type of culture do you thrive in?
What values are you drawn to and what’s your ideal workplace?
Why do you want to work here?
How would you describe our culture based on what you’ve seen?
What best practices would you bring with you from another organization? Do you see yourself being able to implement these best practices in our environment?
Tell me about a time when you worked with/for an organization where you felt you were not a strong culture fit. Why was it a bad fit?

The reality is that we are all individuals both at home and at work. As such, we have unique talents and preferences for how we like to work and in what kind of environment. The job is more than just work, position or a salary. When we choose the right environment, it can feed our our self-identity, self-esteem, and opportunities for personal growth. It is where we feel in balance in congruence with who we are.

I told my colleague a story about another professional that I knew well. She had interviewed for a position and was also told she was not a good cultural fit. She was deeply disappointed. Several years later, the health system where she interviewed underwent serious turmoil and there were also ethical issues involving the leadership. Today, she would tell you that in fact – she was a terrible fit for the organization but did not know it at the time. Sometimes we are saved from making our own mistakes.

Reference

Bouton, K. ( HBR Blog July 17th, 2015). Recruiting for cultural fit. Available athttps://hbr.org/2015/07/recruiting-for-cultural-fit