Get Rid of Cultural Fit

Cultural fit is often used in many organizations to determine how an employee should look, act and what type of culture impact they have in the workplace. It is based on the alignment of values, beliefs, and behaviors between the employer and employee. Cultural fit is normally used in hiring practices, managerial and leadership training, and facilitated conversations with employees and managers. 

While cultural fit has been used in the workplace for positive intent, it should never be used to hinder employment. This becomes blatantly obvious in organizations when individuals are often discriminated against because of  race, gender, disabled persons and veterans. Most recently, the United States House of Representative just passed the CROWNAct in certain states,  which would legally prohibit discrimination based on a Black person’s hair style or texture.  Sadly, there has to be a law passed for this change to happen, but for years,  white societal standards have placed so much  value on how Black women must look  in order to “fit in” to work for their organizations. Minnesota Representative Katherine Clark explains, “it stops equality in school and in the workplace.”

Cultural fit causes individuals to assimilate into a work environment and often  leads to individuals working in silos. Cultural fit is unhealthy for organizations because it weans individuals out from obtaining jobs based off education levels (e.g. having a masters degree for an administrative role). By setting up these false and unrealistic expectations, it further leads to barriers in hiring and retaining employees. 

When organizations set themselves apart, they begin to see that cultural fit only plays a small part in their organizations.   Organizations begin to see the bigger picture by having a diverse group of people with different perspectives, skills, and experience. Not only does it helps the businesses achieve their goals but it supports the employee in being their authentic self.    

If you are an organizational leader and you are looking for better ways to remove cultural fit, here a few examples:

·        Hire the right people .  Seek people who have an entrepreneurial spirit, started companies, raised children independently, traveled globally not just global minded. etc. 

·        Look beyond algorithms. Seek individuals who have had jobs outside of the role you are hiring for. Stop looking at tenure on jobs, same roles in sequential order,  experience, and why individuals chose not to stay in career long or took a gap year.  No one is perfect.

·        Review job descriptions regularly (at least annually) to determine if there are things that can be removed that may hinder individuals from applying for roles. (e.g. education level—didn’t graduate from a Ivy league college, role responsibilities are unattainable)

·        Stop asking people to share their race, gender, veteran, disabled.  While some organizations must obtain this information for reporting purposes, see people for who they are and what they can bring to the table. 

·        Eliminate bias. Stop with video conferencing to see how people look, sound, or how articulate they are. 

In other words, stop making it hard for people to fit into your culture. Authentic people want to be authentic in their work and personal life, not authentically selective.Organizations should see people for their creativity, innovation, tenacity and purpose, and where everyone is welcomed.