Mastering Culture Fit Interview Questions

Selecting a candidate who meshes well with your company’s culture can be challenging, but it’s an important part of the hiring process. It’s always a good idea to meet with potential candidates and interview them in person — that way, you’ll be able to get a genuine feel for how well they’ll fit into your company’s culture.

By using a comprehensive set of culture-fit interview questions and executing interviews effectively, you can gain deeper insights into not only your candidates’ values but their personalities, too. It’ll also allow you to figure out whether or not their values align with those of your organization.

Unfortunately, coming up with culture-fit interview questions isn’t always easy. If you’re currently in the process of hiring new employees, but find yourself drawing a blank when it comes to interview questions, don’t worry — you’re not alone, and we’ve got you covered.

Person Handing Woman a Clipboard with Text

What is Company Culture and Why is it Important?

To put it simply, company culture dictates the “how” behind the operations of a business. It’s a combination of both the structured procedures and the informal interactions and values that shape the experience for employees, customers, and stakeholders.

For example, a company might have an established formal communication channel (i.e. an instant messaging software), and, at the same time, may tolerate informal practices — like raising one’s voice to make a point during discussions. These systems and behaviors are meant to serve as guidelines for employees. They essentially outline how employees should navigate their interactions within the organization.

The significance of company culture lies in its influence on employee behavior, morale, and productivity. A positive culture helps to create an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and motivated to give their best performance every day. A negative or toxic culture, on the other hand, might lead to conflicts and disengagement.

Company culture also plays an important role when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. Job seekers are increasingly considering cultural fit when evaluating potential employers. More and more people are interested in working for companies with values that align with their own — understandably. Employees will be more likely to stay with an organization where they feel a sense of belonging.

Hands Crossed with Pen and Paper

Why Cultural Fit Matters in the Hiring Process

Why does cultural fit matter in hiring? Well, imagine hiring someone who looks great on paper but doesn’t really “click” with the team or the way things are done. It can lead to all sorts of issues, from tension in the office to lower productivity. When new hires aren’t happy with the company culture, it can rub off on everyone else, leading to higher turnover rates and major costs for the company.

That’s where cultural-fit questions come in handy during the hiring process. By asking cultural-fit questions during your interviews with potential candidates, you can figure out whether or not certain candidates will thrive in the company’s environment and contribute positively to its success.

Before asking these questions, though, you should make sure that your company has a clearly defined culture in place — otherwise, you won’t know what to look for in terms of personality and core values while interviewing candidates.

People are drawn to workplaces with open communication, supportive management, and recognition for hard work. For this reason, creating a positive culture is essential for attracting and keeping top talent, as well as making sure that the company thrives in the long run.

The Best Cultural Fit Interview Questions to Ask Potential Candidates

Now, keep in mind that you don’t have to copy these questions down word-for-word while coming up with your interview questions. You can always use these example questions as a jumping-off point and edit them as you see fit. We understand that coming up with culture-fit interview questions can be tough, though — so we wanted to do some of the legwork for you:

What excites you about this job?

Employees who enjoy their work tend to be more productive on the job. This question aims to assess the candidates’ drive and enthusiasm for the role. If the candidate seems genuinely excited about the job and gives you a satisfactory answer (i.e. “I’m excited to work with people who have core values that align with my own”), you should consider them for the position.

During your first six months here, what do you hope to achieve?

This question helps determine how dedicated the candidate is to their goals. People who have already set goals are likely to be motivated and committed to their work. On the other hand, candidates who are primarily focused on getting promotions may be more difficult to keep on the team long-term.

Describe your ideal supervisor.

This question aims to understand how the candidate handles direction and supervision. By asking this question, you’ll be able to determine whether they prefer working independently or under guidance from a supervisor. By exploring their past work experiences, you can discover how they interacted with previous supervisors, which may not be evident from a straightforward question.

How have you responded to criticism in the past?

The point of asking this question during interviews is to understand how candidates deal with stress and feedback. By asking this question, you’ll be able to determine whether or not they can handle constructive criticism without becoming overly sensitive. It’s also a great way to assess their ability to adapt to different management styles and whether they are open to improvement or believe they already know everything.

How important is work-life balance to you?

Many modern companies value more than just success. They also prioritize a good balance between work and employees’ personal lives. If your company culture emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, you might offer your employees paid time off or extra help in achieving their personal goals.

Do you prefer formal performance reviews or frequent informal meetings when it comes to feedback?

Providing feedback to team members is a super important job for managers. How feedback is delivered can either encourage or discourage a team member, though. In a workplace where communication is open and transparent, employees might not respond well if a manager adopts a formal approach. This is why it’s important to ask these types of questions.

Do you prefer working alone or with a team?

A team member who’s not engaged can, unfortunately, bring down the whole team. Needless to say, teams work best when everyone supports each other and works well together. A manager who’s engaged and supportive can bring the team together, too. If a particular job requires a lot of brainstorming as a team, someone who’s shy and quiet might not fit in well and might not be very productive. That doesn’t mean they can’t shine in other areas, but it’s something to take into consideration.

If you disagreed with a company policy in the past, how did you handle it?

A candidate’s previous work experiences can show whether or not they’re able to follow company policies. A tendency to disrespect or ignore company policies is a sign that the candidate might not be a good fit. You can also find out how flexible the candidate is by asking them this question.

Asking Relevant Culture-Fit Interview Questions

An organization’s culture isn’t something you can physically “feel” or “touch,” however, you can easily see how company culture affects the way that people behave within an organization. That’s why culture-fit interview questions are important — they help business leaders understand a candidate’s personality, behavior, and beliefs.

One of the most common questions that business leaders have, when it comes to asking culture-fit interview questions is: “How do you ask culture-fit questions that are relevant?” You’re looking for genuine answers, right? But at the same time, you don’t want to be too vague or too detailed while interviewing candidates.

To put it plainly, there’s a lot to take into consideration when it comes to asking culture-fit questions during interviews. For example, you’ll need to think about the specific culture of the department you’re hiring for — the core values of the marketing department might not fully align with the core values of the HR department, for example.

You should also think about the future. If the company is growing, you might ask candidates about their leadership skills. Also, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The main goal is to learn more about the candidates you’re interviewing.

Build Your Culture With Culture Partners

Coming up with culture-fit interview questions (and finding ideal candidates in general) can be tough, but if you use the questions listed above as a jumping-off point, you’re sure to find success.

If you’re looking to build or improve your company culture, you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our experienced senior partners. We’re happy to discuss your goals and answer any questions you might have about company culture, employee retention, and more.