"People are loyal to culture, not strategy."

I really love interviewing people. I am honored that some of my clients want me to meet some of their most important candidates and that my schedule sometimes allows. I consider getting to know someone, understanding their story, and getting to the real foundations of what makes them tick an honor.

Someone’s story is their greatest treasure.

Since I am not the potential employer, these interviews often look really different than the typical ones. As a person who is usually helping articulate and then assisting in translating that transformative culture, I put a pretty high bar on cultural fit. It is one of the things I am most focused on assessing in the interview.

Two of the statements I typically make to the interviewee are:

If I believe coming to work here is in your and the company’s best interest, I’ll do everything in my power to convince you to take the job and encourage them to hire you.
If I believe the opposite, I’ll do everything in my power to convince you and them not to make that decision.

Organizational health and cultural fit are two of the greatest determinants of long-term success. If I feel like the candidate would fit well with the team relationally and they are a good fit culturally (values, purpose, and vision), there is a much stronger likelihood of long-term success both for them and the company as a whole.

Of course, they need the experience, skill set, and ability to learn and grow that most jobs require, but that is something I feel like the prospective employer is best equipped to assess.

(In full disclosure, there is a movement away from hiring for cultural fit; some believe it is the playground for discrimination. I believe it is the foundation for good hearted discriminating leaders to help others and their organization find their greatest success.)

At the end of the day, I believe that every person has a unique contribution to make. There are experiences, passions, and abilities that make each one of us unique in all the world. If that particular complement of things is allowed to flourish in the right environment, that person and the company that employs them, will both benefit tremendously. Engagement increases, contribution increases, and turnover declines.

Everybody wins.

But even more important than an individual’s or an organization’s success, when a person increasingly offers their unique gifting, ability, and passion - God is most glorified. When each of us makes the contribution that we are uniquely created to make…

God’s glory is best known
His hands and feet are most fully employed
Everything changes for the better

We need more of that. And to think, it is as close as your next hire.

Consider

Is your culture clear, articulated, and owned by your team?
Is it being used as the value filter that it should be?
Are you currently looking to add to your team or replace current employees?
Are you fully weighing the impact and glory that each potential hire holds?