A potential candidate for a position you’re filling may have all the necessary qualifications for the job on paper, but if the candidate isn’t a good culture fit for your company, there’s a higher chance of turnover, which costs your company money. Candidates that are a good culture fit will have higher job satisfaction and are more likely to remain with a company and perform better at their jobs. A candidate’s resume might not be enough for you to determine if they’ll be a good fit, so you’ll need to include questions in the interview to help assess if a candidate will be able to adapt to your company’s behaviors, beliefs, and structure.
Interview questions
Why Do You Want to Work Here?
This is an easy way to assess a candidate’s motivation and core beliefs. If they’re simply looking for a paycheck, they may not put as much effort and care into their jobs as those employees who enjoy their work and want a future with your company.
What’s Your Ideal Workplace?
Even if a candidate wants a career in your company, the structural organization may not be one that works for them. If your company has an open work space where it’s easy to share ideas from across the room, but the candidate prefers quiet cubicles, they may find your work floor distracting. Similarly, if they thrive best in a hierarchical setting, then a flat organization likely will be difficult for them to adjust to.
Describe One of Your Accomplishments
During the interview, take some time to clarify what the job expectations are for the candidate, if hired, and then ask for a description of an accomplishment that is comparable to the work that would be done with your company. The candidate’s answer will illuminate what motivates hard work and excellence, and will make it easy for you to weed out anyone who thought the job they were interviewing for was something different than what it is.
When the candidates explain their significant accomplishment, ask follow up questions to assess how the candidates made decisions, and whether they work better in a faster paced or slower paced environment. You’ll want to ensure that every candidate you hire will be able to adapt to your company’s pace, whether it be faster or slower.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
If a candidate left their former place of employment because of a bad culture fit, finding out what that culture was like will inform you of if the candidate will fit with your company. If their last job was structured and paced similarly to your company, they likely won’t be able to adapt for your company either. If the last job was structured differently than your company, however; they may be a good fit. Ask them to describe in detail why they left so you can get a clear picture of what sort of culture they work best in. If they left for a reason other than bad culture fit, such as a move or getting laid off, then ask them to describe a time when they didn’t fit in with a company, and why.
What Values Are You Drawn To?
If you want to assess if a candidate shares the same values as your company, then find out what their values are. If they prefer a clear set of instructions to complete their work, then a job that requires independent decision making is not going to be a good fit for them. If they prefer to work alone most of the time, they won’t thrive in a team environment.
Joan Herbert, Assistant Manager at Bank-Opening-Times.co.uk, a curious individual, avid reader and a passionate creative writer.
