In most marketing departments, cultural fit is defined as having a strong set of soft skills as well as values, beliefs and behavior that are in line with the organization’s culture.
Skills can be taught or improved. Finding a candidate with the right personality and character traits, on the other hand, is often more difficult.
Whether you’re recruiting or seeking employment, cultural fit is something that should be kept in mind throughout the entire hiring process. From the initial phone interview to the final skill assessment — cultural fit is often a deciding factor when it comes to hiring employes, especially in marketing departments.
Cultural fit within a marketing team highly affects work ethic and creativity. It is, therefore, considered by many as a crucial component to building a strong team. Every team will have different dynamics, and it’s important that each team member understands what holds the team together – what makes it tick. For example, having similar working hours, a sense or urgency, and a handle on priorities will help tremendously in building a cohesive team as well as establishing a comfortable, result-driven culture.
As a Candidate
It is of utmost importance that you learn about a company’s core values, as well as its mission and purpose when considering a new job. Only then can you assess if you’re a good fit. During the interview process don’t hesitate to ask your interviewer whether they feel they are a good cultural fit. At this point, they know more than you do about the work environment and company culture.
Before making a decision, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you agree with the organization’s core values?
- Is the mission statement something that resonates with you?
- What is the work environment like?
- Of the team members you met, can you see yourself working along side them?
- Do you see yourself working there for many years?
As a Hiring Manager
It is crucial to consider your department’s culture while interviewing, and ultimately hiring, new team members. Even when you may have ruled that an applicant has all the necessary functional skills and knowledge, you still need to confirm that a candidate would play well with other team members, be proactive, reliable, have a good sense of priorities, and be goal driven, as well as generally fit into the overall culture.
In order to hire the best talent, people that have all the required technical skills and that fit in well with your current team, ask yourself the following questions about candidates in the running:
- Will this person work well with their core team?
- Does this person have personality traits and skills that will nicely balance current team members’ strengths and weaknesses?
- Would this person clash in someway with the current team?
- Does this person seem to share the same overall professional goals (i.e. innovation) of my department?
- Will this person be passionate about what we do?
At Adecco Creative & Marketing, we understand the importance of cultural fit – especially within marketing departments which often have their own unique quirks and processes. Our recruiters are trained to ask questions that determine whether a candidate will work well within current departments and teams. We always take cultural fit into consideration when recruiting and placing candidates, ensuring that both applicants and employers are satisfied with their hiring decisions.
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