Work Place Cultural Fit

Employers are looking now more than ever to their employees and how they are in the work place. It’s often the case that employers are looking for a little more than a good CV. So what does cultural fit mean? In simple terms it comes down to the work ethics and values of the people in the team. A big reason an employer will look at cultural fit is when they are looking to hire for the long term.

In the interview stage of the recruitment process you may be asked specific questions which are set out for both you and your interviewer to assess how you would fit into the team dynamic. One of the reasons a business may put emphasis on this is because of long term goals, if you fit in well with the team you ultimately will be more likely to stay longer term which is the goal for most employers. There are certain things that an interviewer may ask to ensure that you would be a good fit for the team, including flexibility or your preferred style of work. For example, if you prefer to work alone and meet your targets independently you may not find working in a large team focused environment as satisfying nor will your colleagues get on with you.

Work ethic is another key part of cultural fit and there is usually an office consensus of working patterns, it may be expected that you stay late if you have extra work that needs to be completed, or you may be expected to work a weekend once a month. If you are unable to do this for any reason it may lead to conflicts in the work place. Therefore, an employee who likes to start and finish at the same time every day due to commitments outside of work may find this workplace culture unsuitable for their needs. Therefore it is critical to discuss this in the interview process for both you and your future employer.