Psychology Behind Hiring Employees with Culture Alignment

As company culture took a seat in the executive boardroom, it evolved into what we now refer to as "Culture Alignment" – maintaining the values, goals, and environment a company has set forth by ensuring the workforce embodies and promotes them. The people who make up your organization are ultimately the ones who secure your success, so it's only natural that you want to be certain employees uphold the foundations you have worked hard to build.

Many companies realize how important it is to find employees who fit well and align with their culture. HR and hiring managers are looking for specific traits and culture preferences which will align with your brand and with other team members, so it is important to explore many lines of questions during the interview, including:

• Descriptions of how the candidate interacted with coworkers and managers in the past
• Examples of how they think communication and decision-making should best be handled
• What type of atmosphere and environment best suits their preferences
• The style of leadership which gets the best out them and is most supportive to them
• The type of motivators which help them thrive in the workplace

With a shift away from focusing exclusively on hard skills, and a greater embrace of culture alignment, it only makes sense that certain work personality traits would become must-haves in a challenging business climate. Here are some big-ticket traits hiring managers often focus on when considering these work skills:

• Facing adversity with Resilience – Right now, there is a high level of uncertainty in the market and the broader economy compared to previous years. Looking for candidates that highly value or display resilience and grit is key to weathering the coming challenges
• Flexibility is king – With the job market constantly shifting and responding to any number of trends, there is always a great need for flexibility. When employees adopt a flexible mindset, they tend to experience lower stress levels and better overall well-being.
• Working Independently, but not alone – Independence, especially in candidates who are more productive when unsupervised, is a good trait if you’ve noticed that your leaders are stretched thin. These hard workers can maintain focus and drive even when “the boss” is not watching or immediately available.
• Innovation and curiosity drive results – One key trait to look for in your job candidates is a high degree of innovation. This ability to use creativity and a healthy dose of risk-taking can bring about positive change in many facets of your company.

We understand that it can be challenging to balance finding candidates who have perfectly honed the ideal skills on their resume and finding those whose personal values align flawlessly with your company culture. This is why Workzinga has developed the Culture Alignment Assessment. Using complex algorithms and data to help you make more informed decisions, Workzinga takes the guesswork out of hiring for strong alignment. Our assessment measures 26 distinct characteristics to build an accurate, objective profile that analyzes your company and potential candidates. Using a scientific-based assessment, we show you just how well aligned candidates are your organization's values and goals. Take your talent acquisition game to the next level and identify a more ideal candidate for your workplace. Learn more.