Is Culture-fit becoming "the" selection criteria?

Life as we know it in the workplace doesn't exist anymore. With millennials comprising half of the workforce nowadays and with Gen Z getting ready to enter, everything is changing overnight.

It all started when the traditional 4-wall offices changed to cubicles then cubicles turned to open work spaces, followed by open spaces evolving to virtual meetings ultimately virtual meetings changed from happening in meeting rooms to being taken in living rooms. 

Employees are no longer looking for good compensation only, they are also looking for a "cool" workplace with like-minded people. 

Considering all the changes happening around us, Talent Acquisition has accordingly evolved in several ways. Employers are not just looking for a strong CV, they are looking for the "best-fit" candidate. This is measured by many aspects but mostly by how well a candidate fits in an organization's culture.

The word culture is very broad, yet very niche. Each organization has its own culture because culture is primarily defined and set by its people. And because each organization has its own people, their culture differs and sometimes it happens that within one organization different teams can have different cultures.

Knowing that, recruiters nowadays consider "culture-fit" as part of their selection criteria. We are no longer looking for the hard/soft skills only, but we look for the candidate who will perfectly fit within our culture. If an organization has people who don't fit together, it will ultimately lose its identity and on the long run it will not be able to establish a strong "employer value proposition".

With no culture, comes no employer brand hence attracting and retaining the right talents becomes a very hard job. Therefore, it is now safe to say, "culture-fit" is now a strong selection criteria that candidates must ensure they have in order to get the job they want.

To know if you're culturally-fit, make sure you research your potential employers. Check their LinkedIn pages, get in touch with their current employees, try to figure who are they and how do they perceive their work-life. Having your answers will then tell you if it's the right place for you or not.

And remember, if you don't fit in one organization, you surely will be the best match for another. Don't give up but make sure you choose your employer wisely :)