Culture Fit: The Interview Secret I Wish I'd Known Sooner
Why hiring for alignment matters more than checking boxes—and how to actually do it
I can remember conducting interviews early in my career. They were likely horrible interactions for both the candidate and me as they were just a review of the candidate's resume: "So, I see you went to this school…" or "What was it like working at X?" Nothing deep, nothing exploratory. Nothing that let me know who that candidate was or that told them who we really were.
It took me years and the patience of a few very talented and understanding HR professionals before I learned about active listening, behavioral questions, the 5 C's (which I'll touch on later), etc. Those have made me a better interviewer, but I would argue that they have made my interaction with candidates more enjoyable for both of us and, even more important, allowed me to hire better candidates.
Nowadays, I put a lot of value on Culture Fit. This evolved from realizing and trusting that the HR team has already assessed their skills by the time someone gets to me for an interview. But also the acknowledgment that, beyond skills and experience, understanding a candidate's alignment with our culture is paramount. Not familiar with the concept? The Aresty Institute of Executive Education at The Wharton School explains Culture Fit this way:
"Culture fit is the alignment of a company's core values and culture with its employees. Often, it's easiest to know what culture fit is when there isn't one, like someone who prefers silent concentration joining a company with a shared playlist playing across the office or an extreme extrovert stuck in a silent cubicle all day."
As I've previously written about the importance of company culture to current employees, it is also important for candidates. A Glassdoor 2019 survey found that 77% of respondents consider a company's culture before applying for a job there, and 56% said company culture is more important than salary as it relates to job satisfaction, and that was pre-pandemic.
If you haven't read my previous work on culture (here, here, and here), you may want to because before you can conduct a cultural fit assessment, you need to know your organization's culture. This includes its values, language and communication styles, belief systems, vision, etc. With clarity about that, you can then ask cultural fit questions.
Adecco, the workforce solutions provider, offers these sample questions:
Describe the kind of work environment in which you feel the most productive and happy.
What gets you excited about going to work?
How would your colleagues at your previous job describe working with you?
Which of our company's core values do you most/least identify with?
How do you feel about being friends with your colleagues? Or do you prefer a strictly professional environment?
How could a manager best support you?
I tend to try to weave the questions into our conversation as opposed to just drilling through them; it feels more organic and relaxing – something interviews by nature tend not to be.
Listening Beyond the Words
Here's the thing: just asking those questions isn't enough. You've got to actually listen—not just to what they're saying, but to what they're not saying.
Take that question about work environments. When I ask someone to describe where they're most productive and happy, I'm not waiting for some polished response they've practiced. I want to see their eyes light up. I want specifics that feel real. If my team thrives on constant collaboration and brainstorming sessions, and someone goes on about needing complete silence and minimal interaction? That's telling me something important. But when a candidate's whole face lights up talking about shared goals and bouncing ideas off teammates? Now we're getting somewhere.
The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong
Look, hiring for culture isn't some touchy-feely exercise. It's smart business.
Skills gaps? You can train those. Cultural mismatches? Those just get worse over time. I've seen it happen—talented people who end up miserable because they're in the wrong environment. The whole team suffers. Productivity tanks. Eventually, someone leaves, and you're back to square one.
The math is brutal when you think about it. All that time recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, getting someone up to speed... only to start over because you missed the culture piece? Way more expensive than taking the time to get it right from the start.
What They Ask Tells You Everything
Here's what I've learned: pay attention to the questions candidates ask you.
Do they want to know how decisions get made around here? How the team actually works together day-to-day? What our communication style is like? Those questions signal something important—they're not just thinking about the role, they're trying to picture themselves in it. Will they actually fit here?
Watch how they engage too. Are they leaning in? Do they get excited when you describe how your team works? And here's a big one: how do they handle it when the conversation becomes less formal, more like two people just talking?
Those moments often reveal more than any scripted answer ever could.
Building Teams, Not Just Filling Seats
My whole approach to hiring has shifted. I'm not just trying to fill an open position anymore—I'm building something.
Every person we bring on becomes part of the team dynamic. They're going to influence our culture just as much as our culture will influence them. You have to know your own culture first—really know it, not just what's written in some handbook. Then you can ask questions that actually matter and recognize the answers when you hear them.
The goal isn't just filling a position. It's finding someone who'll do great work and make everyone around them better too. That investment in getting the right fit? It pays off in ways that go way beyond any individual role.
What's been your experience with culture fit in hiring? Have you noticed a difference when you focus on alignment over just skills? I'd love to hear your stories and approaches in the comments.