Culture fit in tech recruiting
The original meaning of culture in recruiting was the focus on "personality and values, not just skills" - in the hope that this would increase the likelihood of success and happiness of new employees. But more and more often, researchers reported that "in many organizations this no longer fits". The term "culture-fit" has rather taken on a "tribal meaning" and has become an expression that interviewers use as a catch-all to reject candidates... the embodiment of unconscious bias.
According to science, we are more likely to hire a lovable fool than a competent idiot - a little more sympathy has more impact on the outcome of the hiring process than a little more competence.
It is possible that we identify with a candidate who has similar interesting aspects.
It might be less obvious. We may have been really hungry when we interviewed the last candidate right before lunch. In an interview, we might find out that a candidate shares our love for a certain B movie or grew up two blocks away. All of this would affect how much we liked the person. However, none of these circumstances are likely to say anything about the person's performance or how well they would fit into an organization long term. Just because somebody shares your passion for a team does not mean that they would share your company's passion. The excuse "doesn't fit the culture" is often used, much like the excuse of "unconscious bias".
In addition to our other unconscious biases, we probably also prefer people who think and express themselves like us - which is also called functional prejudice. In other words, we prefer people we like. It's no surprise that this can lead to favoring candidates who are easiest for you to contact.
If you're a fan of the wrong sports team, this is not indicative of performance. A candidate whose work style drives team members in the wrong direction may be the bigger issue.
When trying to overcome unconscious bias, the first step is to determine what values you would want in a new setting - this includes the company's core values. These values can then be used to see if there is an alignment between the candidate and the company, rather than between the candidate and a personality. Consider the core values of your company when designing or reviewing them, and how each value manifests in the practices or behavior of your company's employees. Then standardize the questions you use to learn more about a candidate's values.
Make sure that the question:
- is bound to a function or appicable situation for the team.
- defined clearly and causes definite reactions.
- is bound to company values.
- considers the collaborative style of the hiring team.
What can this candidate contribute to the culture of your company? Will this re-energize the team and push it in the right direction?
Answers given by candidates should be standardized in order to avoid incorporating subjective assessments. Be aware of whether or not your personal opinion of a candidate influences your evaluation of their performance potential.
As with any unconscious bias, knowledge is key to overcoming it. Be conscious of how you react to a candidate's likability, factor it in to your evaluation explicitly, and set clear boundaries for how much it can influence hiring decisions.
