What are the best ways to hire for cultural fit?

In recent years, Swedish work culture has gained considerable global exposure. Sweden has firmly established itself as a country that values a healthy work-life balance thanks to a work culture that places versatility and agile working as one of its core values. From an international perspective, this praised Swedish business etiquette serves as a prime example of how we should hire for a cultural fit.

This blog aims to help you visualise company culture in more tangible and accessible pieces. Read on as we delve into the importance of healthy business culture and the best ways to hire for it.

What is cultural fit in the workplace?

There are four types of work culture that, ideally, should all co-exist.

Clan Culture: a close-knit connection between employees that is nurtured through teamwork, genuine inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

Market Culture: a process that is driven by business results.

Hierarchy Culture: defined by structured levels of authority that are approachable.

Adhocracy Culture: where employees experience a degree of flexibility, they are generally not constrained by excessive rules and the difficulties of regulatory requirements.

How can you hire people that fit well into your team’s corporate culture?

Ultimately, company culture goes hand in hand with improving employee satisfaction. We recommended you follow our SID model where you share, include and disclose.

Showcase a transparent company culture. Sharing the business's values and goals is a way to open a conversation on whether the candidate can align with them or not. During the interview process, giving a chance for candidates to answer a simple question like “how do these goals align with yours?” will portray if there is an open level of conformity and willingness to adapt to the company’s core values.

It is also important that you implement an inclusive recruiting strategy where candidates genuinely feel that they will be accepted. Lastly, invest time in creating an anonymous survey for your current team of employees that you can disclose with potential candidates. Ask current employees about their own experience and how they have integrated themselves into the company’s culture. Leave space for them to reflect and appreciate their company’s existing culture. By disclosing these testimonials you are providing evidence and reassuring candidates that your employees feel valued in the workplace and therefore they will too.

How can you determine if someone is a good cultural fit?

It is important to remember that measuring a candidate’s potential to fit into your organisation’s culture is not something that can be found in CVs. Therefore, it is down to the flow of conversion and understanding between hiring managers and candidates. Ask open-ended questions to explore whether your attitudes are congruent with each other. Ask questions about their thoughts and feelings towards situations that are considered ‘the norm’ in your company. You may also ask them to complete the Geneva Emotional Competence Test since emotional intelligence is often not touched upon during interviews but is extremely important in workplace leadership and culture.

Hire for your company culture with Swisslinx

We can connect you with the finest candidates for your company using our expertise and understanding of thriving company culture. With employee retention and compatibility in mind, Swisslinx is here to support the growth and success of your business. Finance recruitment and fintech jobs are just some of our areas of expertise. 

We are a top talent partner with a strong track record of establishing international connections with a range of clients and prospects, and we look forward to putting our expertise to work for your company. For more information about our technology and financial services recruitment agency, browse our recruitment markets or get in touch with us now.