Hiring Tip: Determine Cultural Fit in the Interview Process

The security industry, like any other, faces hiring challenges, and identifying, engaging, recruiting and hiring the best talent available is critical to fueling future strategic growth plans. A key component of the hiring process includes determining cultural fit and setting expectations.

The cultural fit between your company, your team and a new hire is arguably the most important element in gaining a valuable long-term employhee who plays well in your company sandbox.  Focusing only on strong resumes based on purported skills and experience while leaving cultural fit as an afterthought can lead to flawed decision making during the hiring process. This can be particularly true when hiring for a sales position for which the only measure is sales performance. While a strong track record, experience and capabilities in pioneering new markets are important, a bad cultural fit can negate those advantages, disrupt workflow processes and create needless drama that can harm your company brand!

Here are some questions to help determine cultural fit once you know and have defined your company culture. You will be able to come up with more once you get the hang of asking questions such as these:

1. Describe the style of management that motivates you to do your best work.
2. What is the most effective role a good manager demonstrates with those that report to him/her
3. What are the positive aspects of your current work environment or the last job you held before coming to this interview?
4. Do you have a best friend at work, and what are your feelings about becoming friends with coworkers?
5. Do you prefer working alone or with a team, and what percentage of time would you give to alone or team work?
6. When you work with a team, what role would you like to have?
7. How do you think coworkers would describe the role you prefer to be in on a team?
8. How would your coworkers describe your work style and contributions in your job/former job
9. Describe the relationship you prefer when working with people.
10. Give an example of when you stepped out of your comfort zone to assist another person at your company.

In our Employer’s Complete Guide to Hiring (produced exclusively for SIA by Matterhorn Consulting as a benefit to members), we outline more key interview question best practices, along with many other things to help you find talented people who fit your company’s culture, match your needs and help drive your company to excellence. The 12-step reference guide includes tips on company vision and mission, setting expectations, making job offers, onboarding and more. Get the guide here.