Hiring to Fit Your Culture: Beyond Skills and Resumes

When you’re building a team, it’s easy to focus on skills and experience. But here’s the truth: skills can be taught—alignment with your company’s culture cannot. That’s why I recommend cultural fit sit at the top of your hiring checklist.

A great hire isn’t just someone who checks the technical boxes. It’s someone who believes in your “why”, adapts to how your organization operates, and thrives in your unique environment.

Step 1: Be Transparent From the Start

Hiring for culture begins before the first interview question is asked. Be upfront about what it’s really like to work in your company.

• Paint a realistic picture. Share what a “day in the life” looks like at your company. Is it structured with clear policies, or more flexible and fast-paced?

• Name the challenges. Don’t just sell the perks—be honest about the messy parts. If you’re building the plane as you fly, say so. This ensures you attract candidates who are energized by change, not stressed by it.

• Highlight your “why.” Share your mission and what success looks like in your environment so candidates can decide if it resonates with them.

Step 2: Tie Interviews to Core Values

Resumes tell you what someone has done. Behavioral questions show you how they operate—and whether their instincts align with your culture.

Examples:

• Collaboration

  • Ask: “Tell me about a time when you worked with a team to overcome a challenge. What was your role, and how did you contribute to the team’s success?”

  • Look for: Shared credit, conflict resolution skills, and focus on team outcomes.

• Innovation

  • Ask: “Describe a time you identified a new way of doing something that improved a process or solved a problem. What steps did you take, and what was the outcome?”

  • Look for: Curiosity, initiative, resourcefulness, and comfort with taking risks.

• Accountability

• Ask: “Tell me about a project where things didn’t go as planned. How did you handle it, and what did you do to make things right?”

• Look for: Ownership of mistakes, problem-solving mindset, and integrity.

Step 3: Include Culture in Every Stage of Hiring

Hiring for culture isn’t just about the interview—it’s about the entire process.

• Job Descriptions: Use language that reflects your culture. For example, if agility matters, say, “We thrive in fast-changing environments and value team members who adapt quickly.”

• Interview Panels: Bring in team members who live and breathe the culture. Their perspective can reveal red flags or strong fits you might miss. Plus, folks will act differently depending on who they are talking to. I can’t tell you the amount of times I've passed on hiring a candidate because of something they said in an interview to a peer. How they talk when their guard is down is just as important.

• Practical Assignments: Give candidates a short project or scenario that reflects your day-to-day work. See how they approach it, communicate, and problem-solve.

Step 4: Trust Alignment Over Perfection

Technical expertise can evolve and improve with training. But a candidate’s willingness to lean into your culture, embrace your values, and believe in your mission—that’s not something you can teach.

• Ask yourself: Would you want to work alongside this person in a high-pressure moment?

• Prioritize alignment: A slightly less experienced candidate who embodies your values often outperforms a “perfect on paper” hire who doesn’t buy into your culture.

• Think long-term: The best hires don’t just fill a role—they amplify your culture, strengthen your team, and help your organization move closer to its vision.

• Trust your gut: If you have a history of hiring solid team members, trust your gut when you can’t decide what to do. Often if you have a “bad” feeling about someone- there is a good reason for it that may not be clear in the interview process.

Quick Recap: How to Hire for Culture Fit

1. Be transparent about your company’s reality—good and bad.

2. Design interview questions around your core values.

3. Weave culture into job postings, panels, and assignments.

4. Choose alignment and belief in your mission over technical perfection.

Hiring for culture fit isn’t about finding clones—it’s about finding people who add to your culture while sharing your values. When you do this well, you build teams that don’t just perform—they thrive.

Join Becca in September for more insights in her upcoming presentation at CEO Works Luncheon on September 24. Becca Davis, Founder of B. Davis Consulting, will dive deeper into Culture, Communication, and Leadership Development– especially during times of change. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn practical steps you can implement immediately to make your business more resilient, productive, and engaged. If any of this resonates with you and you're unsure where to begin, mention this article to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation with Becca. Email Becca at beccadavis0403@gmail.com