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Hiring on cultural fit - how to do it and ensure you are still encouraging diversity
9 months ago By Emily Harris
Studies into workplace culture have indicated the importance that recruitment plays in maintaining a positive workplace environment. One study revealed that employees whose values aligned well with their organisation, co-workers and supervisor, experienced increased job satisfaction, were more likely to remain with their organisation and showed superior job performance (Johnson, E., Kristof-Brown, A. & Zimmerman. 2005) [1] .
Even Virgin Group’s founder, Sir Richard Branson has emphasised the important role culture fit should play in hiring – claiming that securing the right team is the most important thing you can do for your business. However, hiring the ‘right’ team of people is easier said than done.
While ensuring candidates can reflect and/or adapt to the core beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that make up your organisation, it can also perpetuate homogeneity. We examine the fine line between culture fit and discrimination and how organisations can attract candidates that align with their company values while still encouraging diversity and inclusivity in the hiring process.
IS CULTURE FIT DISCRIMINATION?
Culture fit is defined as the screening of potential candidates based on the alignment between their values, beliefs and behaviours and that of the organisation. While there are many advocates for making culture fit a key criterion in an organisation’s recruitment strategy, there are others that believe in doing so, you’re inviting discrimination. Hiring someone based on cultural fit essentially means hiring candidates that you think will be comfortable and can easily adapt to the particular role, the team and your greater organisation.
However, when people assess someone’s overall ability to integrate well within an office environment, they generally look to those who are similar to themselves – in terms of race, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, nationality etc. This is often done on a subconscious level, in fact, there’s an official term for it within recruitment – affinity bias. Affinity bias is defined as favouring a candidate because they share a trait or characteristic with you– like attending the same university or knowing the same people (Zivkovic, 2020) [2] .
Affinity bias is often mistaken for hiring on ‘cultural fit’ as HR staff and managers want a team of like-minded people (in the sense of having the same drive, vision, and passion for the organisation) and the easiest way to determine this is through tangible characteristics like their education, their age etc. But, hiring based on affinity bias often results in a team of people who look, think and act the same. This actually limits an organisation overall, as studies have proven that a more diverse team, leads to greater creativity and innovation. The values and beliefs that make up an organisational culture should be reflected in a richly diverse workforce - which begs the question, how do you maintain or encourage diversity, while ensuring you're hiring the right candidates?
HOW TO INCORPORATE COMPANY CULTURE WITHIN YOUR HIRING STRATEGY
A key thing to remember when recruiting candidates is that an assessment of culture fit should focus on how well the person’s values align with the overall organisation, rather than how well their characteristics align with the organisation’s current workforce. For example, if your organisation values collaboration and this plays a big part in the company’s overall productivity, you are going to want to attract candidates who enjoy working collaboratively rather than those who have a preference for working as individual contributors. However, an appreciation and belief in collaboration won’t be found solely from one demographic or have a similar background to your current workforce. Collaboration can be found in candidates within a corporate background, the not-for-profit sector or even from a military background.
Furthermore, ensuring your employees share and appreciate the same values and beliefs can help to foster a positive work environment and increase productivity. For example, if the majority of employees within an organisation value innovation and learning, and these values align with the company itself and its practices – they are more likely to be engaged in their work and more invested in the organisation long-term. This in turn reduces staff turnover and creates a loyal work base; a huge asset for any organisation to have.
The challenge for organisations - especially during the recruitment stage - becomes determining a candidate’s cultural beliefs without applying affinity bias. The difficulty is that culture is so subjective, so determining values and beliefs isn’t something that can be instantly observed. Consequently, The Harvard Business Review has provided some key questions that can be asked at the interview stage, to help determine cultural alignment (Bouton, 2018)
[3] :
- What type of culture do you thrive in? (does the response reflect your organisational culture?)
- What values are you drawn to and what’s your ideal workplace?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What best practices would you bring with you from another organisation? Do you see yourself being able to implement these practices in our environment?
It is also important to determine through your questioning what a candidate’s work ethic and style are: ask if they enjoy working within a virtual environment or if they like working within an office; if they’re comfortable with a hierarchical structure. If they thrive in a more collaborative environment or prefer to work autonomously.
Organisational culture is important; it informs a company’s decisions and unites its employees under one common vision. Consequently, it’s important to hire candidates that align with your company’s values, for the organisation to continue growing and developing. However, determining how well a candidate aligns with a company’s values is different to hiring based on their characteristics and how similar they are to the current workplace – candidates from all backgrounds and experiences can still share the same vision and beliefs.
TDP understand the benefits a diverse workforce can provide an organisation and consequently are mindful that our focus throughout the entire recruitment process for our clients - while focusing on their organisational needs and culture- remains open and transparent. Our mission is to ensure we are facilitating the growth and development of our clients by providing them with a diverse and skilled range of candidates. To achieve this, we make sure that encouraging and fostering diversity is at the forefront of mind at all stages of the recruitment process- job postings, candidate pipelines, reference checks and interviews. For more information on our recruitment processes, our consultants are on hand to offer support and advice. Reach out to us today for more information -
people@techanddatapeople.com.au
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Welcome to Lunch With a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Spoiler: “Competitive salary” isn’t the hook you think it is.
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Why the way you brief, partner, and align at the top matters more than ever.
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
We’ve entered an era where the smartest systems aren’t the loudest. they’re the ones you don’t even notice. Ambient Intelligence (AmI), or “ambient invisible intelligence,” is reshaping how we live and work, not with fanfare, but with subtlety. This is AI that whispers instead of shouts. It learns your habits, senses your environment, and responds without you lifting a finger. It’s the kind of intelligence that anticipates, not interrupts. So… why should tech professionals, recruiters, and business leaders care? What Is Ambient Intelligence (AmI), Really? Ambient intelligence refers to digital systems—AI, sensors, and networks—that are embedded into our environments to support humans quietly and contextually. Think beyond chatbots and flashy dashboards. This is: Smart lighting that adjusts based on mood or weather Healthcare systems that flag early symptoms before patients notice Cybersecurity that auto-defends without alert fatigue Enterprise tools that prioritise tasks based on your unique working patterns. It’s a tech layer that fades into the background. That is, until you realise you couldn’t function without it. A Silent Revolution in the Workplace Here’s the interesting bit: Ambient AI isn’t just for homes and smart cities. It’s quietly infiltrating our workplaces. Talent Platforms that serve candidates content before they search. Meeting Software that understands conversation flow and adjusts transcripts, follow-ups, or even sentiment analysis in real time. Facilities Management tools that adjust airflow, lighting, and noise levels based on occupancy and stress indicators. And all of this happens without user prompts. We’ve moved from “Hey Siri” to “Siri already knows.” Why It Matters for Tech Recruitment Let’s talk talent. As ambient intelligence grows, we’ll see rising demand for: AI/ML engineers with human-centred design experience Data privacy and ethics specialists IoT security experts UX professionals who understand invisible design Integration architects who can make fragmented systems feel cohesive. And here’s the catch: these roles often require cross-functional fluency. Tech meets psychology, meets ethics, meets design. Are we ready for that shift? Ethical Design in the Background There’s power in invisibility. But there’s risk too. When tech becomes ambient, it also becomes less visible to scrutiny. That means: Bias can go unchecked Data privacy can slip through the cracks Users can be nudged without realising it. The question is no longer can we do this? —But should we? Smart businesses will bring in people who can answer that. Invisible, but Intentional The future of AI isn’t a robot in the boardroom. It’s the algorithm silently removing barriers before they appear. Ambient intelligence is already here. You may have just not noticed it. Yet.
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
Growing a tech team goes a little more in-depth than just getting bums on seats. That is, if you want to scale efficiently. As businesses expand, they often face a common dilemma: should they build an in-house team, buy talent through hiring full-time employees, or partner with external agencies and contractors? Each approach has its pros and cons, and choosing the right one depends on factors like budget, project scope, and long-term business goals. The Build, Buy or Partner Framework When to build (upskill & develop internal talent) Best for: Companies with existing talent that can be developed for long-term growth. Pros: Retains institutional knowledge Fosters a strong company culture Reduces external hiring costs over time. Cons: Takes time and investment in training Can be challenging if internal talent lacks specialised skills. When to choose this approach: When you have a solid foundation of junior-to-mid-level employees who can be trained When you’re looking to promote from within and build long-term loyalty When hiring budgets are tight, but internal development is feasible. When to buy (hire full-time employees directly or through an agency) Best for: Businesses needing stability and long-term expertise in critical roles. Pros: Provides dedicated resources fully committed to company goals Helps establish a strong, cohesive team culture. Cons: Lengthy hiring processes if running a direct process Higher upfront costs (salary, benefits, onboarding, training) Risk of turnover. When to choose this approach: When core business functions require in-house expertise (e.g., software engineers, DevOps, cybersecurity specialists) When long-term stability outweighs short-term cost savings When hiring in a talent-competitive industry where full-time employment is a key attractor. When to partner (contractors and recruitment agencies) Best for: Businesses needing flexibility, speed, or niche expertise. Pros: Faster time-to-hire, especially for specialised roles Cost-effective for short-term projects Access to a broader talent pool. Cons: Cultural integration can be trickier if partners aren’t well-briefed on your values and team dynamics May carry higher long-term costs but manageable with a strong partner who can help you strike the right balance with lasting talent. When to choose this approach: When working on short-term projects that don’t justify full-time hires When needing specialised skills that are difficult to recruit in-house When scaling rapidly and requiring immediate talent solutions When the target talent requires a more strategic brand positioning. Making the Right Hiring Decision Assess business goals: Align hiring strategy with long-term company objectives. Evaluate current team capabilities: Determine whether upskilling is an option before going to market. Consider cost vs. speed: Weigh the urgency of hiring needs against budget constraints. Mix & match approaches: A hybrid approach—combining direct hires with external partners—can offer the best balance of cost, flexibility, and expertise. Scaling a tech team effectively requires a strategic mix of building, buying, and partnering. By understanding the strengths and limitations of each approach, hiring managers can make informed decisions that support both immediate needs and long-term growth. Get in touch with our team to see how we can help set your business up for efficient and effective hiring.
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