Separate values from familiarity
Culture fit can be useful when it refers to clear working values. It becomes a problem when it means sharing the interviewer’s background, personality, or preferences. A team can agree on accountability and respect while bringing very different perspectives to the work.
Define what must be shared
Describe your values as observable behaviours. If collaboration matters, ask how candidates handle disagreement and share information. If customer care matters, explore a specific example. Apply the same questions and scoring approach to each candidate.
Consider what someone could add
Ask which skills, viewpoints, and experiences are missing from the team. A thoughtful challenge to the status quo can be valuable. Make space for different communication styles and avoid confusing confidence with competence or similarity with trustworthiness.
Make inclusion part of the role
Hiring for a broader contribution only works when the environment lets people contribute. Give new colleagues access to information, invite their views, and explain how decisions are made. The goal is shared purpose supported by a wider range of ideas.
Put the thinking into practice.
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