How to Find Employees Who Strengthen Company Culture

As terms like diversity, ethnicity, and inclusion are tossed about in today’s headlines, business owners and managers like you wonder how they apply to your workplace. No matter which side of the legislation you stand on, the research is inarguable: happy workers who feel valued and appreciated strengthen the productivity and success of a business.

Yet, strengthening company culture can be challenging and is often impossible if it’s left to each worker’s own devices. Instead, it’s the leadership qualities that seem to matter most. When the business defines the culture, the employees tend to follow.

So, when you’ve worked hard to create a workplace atmosphere where everyone gets along and values each other, adding a new employee can throw a wrench in the system.

How can you find someone with the skills to do the job who will also enhance the company culture you’ve built? As with the original hard work it took to get to where you’re at right now, you must do it strategically, and these tips can help you get started.

1. Recognize Your Hiring Biases

Before you judge external individuals on their cultural and company fit, it’s important to analyze the potential bias in yourself and anyone on the hiring team.

The most common bias we, as humans, take into our decision-making efforts is the relatability bias. We often think that someone who has similar traits and characteristics to ours must be a good fit because we are! But common ground in one area doesn’t always equate to someone who is good for the team.

Before you interview another candidate, evaluate your hiring process. Where are there gray areas that could be prone to someone’s hidden mindsets? Familiarity or unconscious bias has no place in a hiring decision, and it can cost you the better applicant. Over time, you begin to look for someone who “fits” into the workplace, and you may overlook a candidate who would have added to the culture. (See this article by Obsidi® about recognizing cultural fit versus cultural add.)

Yes, it’s vital that the new hire is someone who brings their work ethic and knowledge to the table without disrupting the current positive and productive environment. But different does not have to mean bad or wrong. By implementing neutral hiring processes that eliminate potential bias, you can make wiser decisions and find the person who will not only “fit in,” but may have perspectives and approaches that strengthen the company culture.

2. Connect the Company Culture and the Mission

Remember that original mission statement you (or the company founders) established? Many businesses hang it on the wall and forget about it, but when you want to actively create a company culture that continually follows the intended values, you must keep the mission at the forefront of your decisions.

One of the most successful company mission statements is that of Chick-fil-A. Whether you agree with their values or not, the founding mission was, “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

Because the mission is at the core of the workflow, potential employees know that they must be positive in their interactions with each other and with customers, and they know what to expect in the workplace. Consumers also recognize the same principles, and each person can choose whether or not to apply to or frequent the business based on how they feel about the mission.

Your company culture and mission, whatever they may be, must be so intricately entwined that potential employees already know what they must embody to work there. Are you AI-focused? Tech-centered in all you do? Family-first? Whatever your mission is, bring it into the company culture — and your hiring processes.

3. Be Open and Appreciative of Differences

Aside from the core values of your company, any new employee’s differences shouldn’t be a make-or-break. As long as they recognize and espouse the mission and can add to it, their differences can be ways to fill in gaps in the current culture.

No matter how amazingly well-fitting your team is, there are always strengths and weaknesses, particularly with culture. When you hire someone who just “fits in,” they might not bring anything new to the environment. But someone who is a cultural add can broaden the knowledge and perspectives with their unique skills, creative thinking, and past experiences.

Look for candidates who embrace your company’s mission and have the skills to fill the position, but who may also be different enough to fill your workplace’s knowledge and cultural gaps.

Conclusion

Finding employees who strengthen company culture may seem like searching for that proverbial grain of sand in a desert. But when you’ve eliminated bias in your hiring processes, clearly shared your company’s mission with the world, and embraced differences, it reduces the number of applicants who don’t share the values. Instead of worrying about who will detract from your current work atmosphere, you can look for someone who will add to the overall company culture.