Culture fit is not just a buzz word; companies in the new world of work are increasingly aware of the importance of soft skills and personality traits when hiring new talent. In addition to helping employers assess how the candidate will fare in tasks, soft skills are also measured to draft out an idea on how the person will adapt to the company culture. A new hire that moulds well with the culture is easily engaged, maintains better relationships with colleagues and in turn will deliver work that is of higher quality.

Assessing the right cultural fit requires a degree of creativity, initiative and investment. Read below some tips on how to strategically find that culturally perfect candidate.

The job advert should reflect the brand identity

How do you want prospect employees to view your business? The job spec is a great way to introduce the brand to the talent; the tone of your job board presence and career web page should reflect the type of person you want to attract.

For less corporate businesses, a more conversational tone of voice and use of language, as well as the inclusion of fun extra-curricular work benefits, for example, will be more effective to attract those with a creative and laid-back disposition.

Use the interview to assess culture fit

There is nothing more powerful in recruitment than human connection. Does the candidate respond well to light-hearted jokes or are they naturally more timid and serious? Have they dressed in business attire or have they incorporated a quirkiness to their interview look? Initial good rapport is a good sign, but be aware to also ask the right questions, such as “what motivates you?”, “how do you approach problems?” and “what kind of office environment do you work best in?”. These can be targeted to discover both performance drivers and personality traits.

Invest in assessment tools and gamification recruitment methodology

With a strongly designed online personality tool, businesses can facilitate the hiring process by reviewing and comparing candidate answers. A significant trend in recruitment is to ‘gamify’ later stages of recruitment in order to calculate skills and personality. Quizzes and scenario-based games are just a couple examples of how employers can better understand the type of candidate they are considering.

At Morgan Philips Talent Consulting, our experts offer effective development and agility assessments customised to clients’ business needs. Click here to discover how our solutions may help find your next perfect hire.