Hire the Best Available Candidate; but not Based Solely on “Cultural Fit”

Abstract

The culture of an organization has a tremendous influence on outcomes. Culture drives strategy, operations, execution, and priorities. However, when it comes to hiring, culture is often prioritized over more objective criteria. There is a perceived need to make certain everyone hired “fits in.” Achieving workplace diversity begins with recruiting broadly. This paper describes why hiring focused predominantly on cultural fit is misguided and short-sighted. We describe why organizations should keep an open mind about what makes someone the “right” candidate, and why it behooves organizations to hire a few “square pegs.”