As an Employer seeking new talent, you want a candidate that is going to knock the rest of the applicants out of the water. Finding (and keeping) these golden applicants can be dependent on you implementing company culture and identity during the early stages of hiring. An article from Sarita Harbour, of Business News Daily Contributor, defines the way of hiring for company culture as “choosing employees based on how well they suit and reflect the values of a business and its founders, instead of focusing solely on the skills and task-based knowledge of an applicant.”
Before the Interview
Your candidate’s first interaction with your company’s culture should happen before the first interview. Assuming that your company has an active and engaging social media, the applicant should get a sense of who you are from your company’s online presence beforehand. From answering questions via twitter or sharing office pictures to your Facebook page, your company is able to utilize public platforms to showcase your company values to interested applicants.
An important tip before hiring: the employer and every employee involved in the hiring process should have a good grasp on their company’s culture before going into the interview and asking questions.
During the Interview
The best way to find out if an employee is a right fit, is to check at the very beginning. The process will run much smoother if you find out sooner than later—saving time, money, and valuable resources.
Josh Tolan, CEO of video-interviewing platform Spark Hire, uses these specific questions during an interview to assess a culture fit:
- What’s your ideal work environment?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you address it and what did you learn?
- What’s your favorite aspect of your current position?
- Talk about a time you worked as part of a team.
- What do you like best about our company?
- Describe about a work culture or environment in which you would not be happy.
- How do you define success?
- Give one example of a time you worked as part of a team.
Using questions like these or questions specifically tailored to your organization will guarantee a much more accurate sense of the applicant applying. Although you re hiring someone for a specific position, it is helpful to ask non-related questions during an interview to understand them as a person and how they could potentially fit in.
After The Interview
It is important to remember that interviewing for a culture fit and interviewing for ability/skill are two completely different things. Each have different questions and ways to assess. After the interview, a final step might include you collecting the responses from candidates and comparing them to your own company’s core values. Do they align with one another? Whether you find a candidate that fits perfectly with your company, or run into a dead end, taking notes or learning from previous hiring processes can help make your future hiring a success. Not to mention giving you a better handle on your company’s unique culture and fit within your industry.
For more hiring/recruiting tips follow us on Twitter @CareerPlug
Justin Zuniga is CareerPlug’s sales and marketing intern.
