“Culture Fit” is a term that is thrown around often—particularly within the context of interviewing—and is a big component of whether or not a person will ultimately receive a job offer. But what does it actually mean for a person to be a great culture fit? And how do companies assess it during interviews? We think it's time to demystify the term Culture Fit by defining it and giving you a few interview pointers. Let’s dive in!
Every company cultivates a different cultural style and it’s your job to find the company with a culture that appeals to you—just as it is their job to find the right people that fit their culture. There are four types of culture:
While companies tend to lean hard into one culture, many will have a mix of them. You’ll be able to tell by studying their values, goals, and latest work. Bonus points if you can speak with a current employee to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to work there. Interviewers will ask behavioral and value-based questions that are focused on one of the four above areas to find the right people. Once you get a feel for which cultural style applies, then you can know what lines of questioning will come your way in interviews and whether it will fit with what motivates you.
A company will almost always post their values on their site. It’s important to look them over before you begin interviewing so that you’re prepared to answer with their targeted values in mind. If you’re a good culture fit, you’ll find that it’s easy to answer questions with their values in mind because you have the same personal work ethic.
The company knows where it’s going and will often present its previous achievements as well as what’s next. If their goals are not as cut and dry on their website, then you’re able to understand their goals from their latest work.
It’s not enough for you to be acceptable to the company. You need to experience alignment, too, throughout the interviewing experience. Take note! Have you ever experienced a certain desperation on their side to hire as quickly as possible? That could be a red flag that they will hire just about anyone. Have you ever felt in your gut that the politics and policies of a company were just off to you? You need to follow your intuition on whether or not this company is the right place for you. There will always be times when a job and company looks great on paper. But experiencing whether or not you and the company fit well together—that can only be discerned through interviewing.
TLDR; Ultimately when a person fits the culture of a company everything seems to click in place during interviews. But companies want forward-thinkers, so you must not be afraid to challenge and set new goals to help the company make improvements (based on their culture type). The dedication for growth is the same on both sides and a culture fit must be mutually felt for the working relationship to last—and earn you a job offer!
If you’re looking for your next gig, the recruiters here at Artisan have a list of clients looking for creative professionals just like you.