Pros and Cons of Recruiting for Cultural Fit

Cultural fit is the likelihood that someone will reflect and/or be able to adapt to the core beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that make up your organization.

 –Harvard Business Review

That sounds good, right? Why wouldn’t you want to hire people who are likely to fit in with your team and follow your company values? As it turns out, focusing on cultural fit when hiring can be a bit of a high-wire act: you don’t want someone who disagrees with your mission statement, but neither do you want to create an exclusionary workforce.

 Let’s look at the pros and cons of recruiting with an eye on cultural fit. Tom Haverford is a young entrepreneur and founder of Haverford’s Haberdashery, an upscale clothing boutique and lifestyle brand. Here is a pro/con look at his hiring process.

Pro: Sharing your corporate values means your employees will already be engaged. 

Con: You risk creating a homogeneous workforce.

Tom needs people who are committed to his brand’s goals: providing the masses with affordable luxury clothing and advice on life and fashion. He’s looking at two bloggers for his staff. J.R. is obsessed with fashion trends and lifestyle influencers; April is less interested in fashion, but very interested in marketing. If Tom chooses J.R., he’ll know that at least one employee shares his interests. However, choosing April would give Tom new insights into marketing his brand.

Pro: You have a well-rounded picture of your ideal candidate. 

Con: You risk unintentional bias.

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