In this evergreen post, Paul Sims explains what you can do when your skill set is not enough to secure a position with a company.
At Kredible, we do a lot of research. In our research study in July 2015, we asked hiring managers across the country how a candidate’s online presence affects the hiring process.
Decision-makers told us that among their reasons for eliminating a candidate from consideration are:
The candidate did not have a compatible work style. (50% of respondents)
The candidate had not worked with companies like ours. (38% of respondents)
Unlike years of experience or desired certifications, these two factors are harder to define. They both fall under the fuzzy category of “cultural fit.”
Why Cultural Fit Matters, To You and To Employers
There is cause for concern that cultural fit is a way to discriminate (here and here, for starters), but the way we’ll use it here is to describe shared values and beliefs. Simply put, culture fit is what makes you choose one company over another the difference between going to just any job and liking your job. (Here’s a great perspective on cultural fit from Erika Andersen in Forbes.)
From a company’s point of view, finding a cultural fit is a matter of the bottom line. This report from the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation details the costs of turnover, from retention attempts and accrued time off to hiring inducements and training. Losing employees is a pricey habit.
Finding Out What Fits
So what are employers looking for when they advertise for cultural fit? A startup may be in search of someone who doesn’t need or want a lot of direction. Someone who likes an involved manager would be frustrated there. (There are our “compatible work styles.”) A company that runs on process and procedure would have conflicts with someone who doesn’t see the importance of checking off every box — and that employee would be equally irritated. (Checkmark for “companies like ours.”)
But let’s go bigger than that. If I’m a hiring manager with Seventh Generation or Patagonia, I’m looking for an employee whose passion for sustainability matches ours. If our core values and beliefs align, differences in thinking styles and working behaviors are a source of creativity, not resentment.
Key points include:
- Reasons for eliminating a candidate
- What your social media says about your fit
- Finding out what fits
Read the full article, When “Hard” Skills Aren’t Enough: Decoding Cultural Fit, on LinkedIn.