For a company to function in a proper manner, it is of paramount importance that everyone in the company functions as a unit. If everyone in the company is not in the same boat then over time to come, things will surely fall apart.
The moment everyone works towards different goals, there will be a great amount of confusion as well as disloyalty. At the very onset, the recruiter interviewing candidates should ask cultural fit interview questions which will assess the cultural fit of the employees so that they experience no problems at later points in time.
Cultural Fit Interview Questions:
- Are you still friends with ex-colleagues?
- How do you cope with the stress of tight deadlines?
- How do you prefer to communicate with coworkers?
- How do you respond to criticism?
- How do you stay organised at work?
- How do you think this role will challenge you?
- How have you changed in the last five years?
- How would you describe your friend group?
- How would you describe your organization’s culture?
- How would you improve our company?
- How would your most recent boss/manager describe you?
- If you could have your own business one day, what would it be?
- If you don’t get this job what is your backup plan
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project or assignment
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work
- Tell me about the biggest risk you have taken in your life
- What apps or tools can help you manage time and productivity?
- What type of work environment do you prefer?
- What is your management style?
- What are the major problems in business today?
- What are the top 10 websites you visit every day and why?
- What are the worst team building activities you have ever been a part of?
- What Challenges are you looking for in a position?
- What charities/causes are you passionate about?
- What did you like least about your job?
- What Did You Like Least About Your Job?
- What do you do for fun?
- What do you think is an ideal work-life balance?
- What does a good company culture look like to you?
- What does your decision-making process look like?
- What is the single most important factor that must be present in your work environment?
- What has been your biggest professional disappointment or letdown?
- What interests you about this job?
- What is the best team-building activity you have ever done?
- What is the one thing about you that surprises people?
- What is your dream job? Can you describe it?
- What kind of events do you like to attend outside of work hours?
- What makes you excited to go to work every day?
- What motivates you to do good job?
- What motivates you to do your best work?
- What other companies are you interviewing with
- What other positions are you considering?
- What two or three things are most important to you in a job?
- What type of a leader are you?
- What value will you bring to our company
- What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it?
- What you expect from a supervisor?
- What’s the single most valuable lesson you’ve learned in your professional life that you will never forget?
- What’s your ideal workday schedule?
- Where do you do your best work?
- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- Which of your company’s core values do you identify with?
- Who has inspired you in your life and why?
- Why do you want to work here
- Would you rather work on a team or alone?
Interview Questions to Assess Candidate Cultural Fit:
1. Tell us what would be an ideal work environment for you?
Of all the questions you can ask to determine an individual’s culture fit, this interview questions to determine fit for culture is perhaps the most effective.
Rather than having any questions in mind, it is always a good idea to place all your cards on the table right at the onset and ask the candidate directly what according to them makes an ideal working environment.
Based on the answer which is given, you can gauge whether this person will be happy working in your organization or not. A few differences here and there are alright, but if the person’s needs are very different then it is advisable that you do not employ him or her.
2. Tell us about some of your main beliefs’
All companies have their own set of rules, ideals as well as beliefs. In order for a company to function like a well oiled machine, all the employee’s goals should be in keeping with that of the company. On asking the question, you can see whether the person’s beliefs are in keeping with that of the company.
Most often, companies are entirely secular in their outlook so in such a case, hiring someone who is theocratic, would be a very bad idea. In addition to this, you can also ask the individual concerned, how to keep their own thoughts with that for the company, that way you can also gauge how well versed the person is with the company information.
3. Do you play by the rules or do things your own way?
Some companies like it when their employees do things their own way, however as opposed to that there are also some companies who hate it when employees do not play by the book. Both ways of functioning have their own individual pros as well as cons.
Based on the way in which your company functions, you will know exactly what kind of answer you are looking for. There is no point hiring someone who is very independent minded if your company is strict about the following protocol, as he or she will never be able to feel happy or content under such kinds of restraints.
4. Would you describe yourself as a leader?
When looking to employ new employees onboard, recruiters keep an eye out for different things. These things which they are looking out for are very limited and to the point. To assess the culture fit of the employee, you should make it a point to ask direct questions and not beat around the bush.
If you ask indirect questions that might defeat the purpose of the interview entirely. So avoid wasting time and you will easily be able to assess a person’s culture fit by asking this question. Most companies like employing customers who do not back away from a challenge and are confident about themselves.
5. How heavily do you rely on technology while working?
No one can deny the fact that we are living in a technological world. Most big companies rely very heavily on technology in order to get the job done. To assess the culture fit of the employee in terms of technology, you can begin by asking the person concerned just how heavily they rely on technology and technological gadgets in order to get the job done.
Based on whether your company is technological advanced or not, you will be able to know what answer will satisfy you or not. The use of technology is something that makes work much easier.
6. Have you ever worked under an ideal boss?
In the business world people are very well connected. One top company keeps a close tab on another top company. So if the candidate in question happens to mention an ideal boss who he or she previously worked under, chances are that you too have heard of the person concerned.
This is certainly a direct question which will help you to gauge the kind of individuals the person looks up to and likes working under. Ideal bosses are those who are able to take the company far with the hard work and dedication they put into whatever work they do.
7. What characterizes an ideal boss or employer?
This question can be asked in relation to the question which has been asked above or it can also be asked as a standalone question. When you ask this question make sure that the person states why he/she values these characteristics above everything else. Ideal bosses are hard to find these days.
If the boss fails to do his responsibilities well then the lower orders will be unable to function well also. Based on the answers which the candidate gives, you can think along the lines of whether in your company you have such a kind of boss.
8. Which according to you is the most effective managerial style?
Various organizations in the business world entrust different responsibilities to the manager in the company. The manager plays a very pivotal role in the office and without him things are likely to descend into chaos. Based on their personality, different people like functioning under different kinds of management styles.
Some managers have a hands on approach where as others prefer to leave their employees to their own devices so that they can do what they think is best under a given circumstance. The managerial style in the company should necessarily be in keeping with that of the employee so that there is no friction between the two.
9. What relationship, according to you, should co workers have with each other?
By nature various people like different things. Some workers like to share nothing but a cordial relationship with their employees where as on the other hand some people like to start a meaningful friendship with those who they work with. Both kinds of behavior has its own pros and cons.
To tell if the person’s culture fit is in keeping with your own, you should make it a point to ask this question. No matter what, co workers should be able to communicate with one another so that no one is kept in the dark about something which is happening or a project which is being worked on.
10. What is your take on dating co workers?
Most companies have a strict policy against employees dating each other. Ask anyone who is experienced in the fields and he or she will tell you that separating your professional and private life from one another is always a very good idea indeed. Based on the policy which your company follows you should ask this question.
Rather than facing complications at a later point in time, it is always a good idea to put your cards on the table right at the onset. To many this question may seem all too direct, but as a recruiter you should not shy away from being as direct as you can.
11. Are you a team player or do you prefer working alone?
Most often companies love to hire people who have a team spirit and like working in groups. People who work in solitude are often unable to yield the best of results. So in order to gauge whether a person’s cultural fit is in keeping with your own, you should ask them about how they prefer to work.
Once they talk about their own working style, you can think about whether they are the kind of person you would like on your team. Ask them additionally about projects which they have managed alone as well as in a team.
12. What is the biggest challenge you faced in your previous workplace?
Ask the candidate what was the biggest challenge he faced in his previous workplace so that you can get an idea whether the same problem is likely to arise in this place of work as well. If the problem is likely to be faced here too, then it is advisable not to hire the individual.
13. Give us an instance, when you went out of your way to please a customer?
Rather than having the employee just say things in order to please, you should ask him for concrete examples which will support what he is saying. To get a hint of whether the person culture fit is exact with your own then you should ask the candidate for an example of an instance where he went out of his way to do something extraordinary for one of his clients. Hiring such client friendly people onboard is a good idea.
14. Are you someone who is willing to go the extra mile?
Career oriented people do best in top companies because in that case both the organization and the employees are wailing to do anything in order to get ahead. If your organization is one which never sleeps then you should get such driven employees to work under you as well.
So ask the employee whether he is someone who is willing to go the extra mile in order to get the job done or whether he is willing to do exactly what is in his job description alone. However, ensure that the person is being honest about his views and not just saying things to please you.
15. What is your take on workplace politics?
There are many individuals who simply cannot function in a company which has a lot of workplace politics. Some people love to be a part of such politics as it helps them feel like they are not alone.
If you know for a fact that your company is one which has a lot of politics then make it a point that you find out whether the candidate you are interested is likely to work in such a setting. You would not want to hire someone who is afraid of such politics. Timid people often find such politics negative as well as scary.
16. Do you like competition in the workplace?
Some people like competition in the workplace, yet at the same time there are others who find competition very threatening and hate it. If your company has a great deal of fierce competition among the workers, then you should tell this to the candidate right at the beginning.
If he seems excited and enthusiastic about rising to the occasion then this is the kind of person you should hire to your organization. Also, there are many people who find that competition does not bring out the best of them so it is better to not hire such people.
Conclusion:
Any experienced individual in the business world would be able to tell, just how important a proper culture fit is. Inexperienced individuals might dismiss this as something which is not important. If you are a recruiter of a company, you need not ask all the questions which have been mentioned above.
Even if you ask a few of these questions, you will get the idea of the person’s thoughts, beliefs as well as needs. Employing employees onboard is a big responsibility indeed and at all points, in time you should ensure that you are doing justice to your position. If good candidates are not hired onboard, the company will never prosper.
