Most companies spend too much time trying to ensure they operate in a particular kind of culture. It is a badge of honour that is worn, celebrated, and shouted from the rooftops. There are countless articles and books promote the idea that ‘culture is king’, and Long Live the King. Companies have been led to believe that culture and core values are the same thing. So they go on a valiant quest to fill their ranks with candidates the ‘fit the culture’.
Related: Measuring company culture – The most commonly used measurement tool is the nine factors model, run by diagnostics firm Hemsley Fraser.
There are four reasons why selecting only candidates who fit into company culture probably isn’t such a good thing after all:
1. Creative will stagnate
Over time, out of the box thinking will disappear because everyone in the company is basically pretty comfy with work. Remember, it is important to stimulate the brain for it to function at its best and thinking out of the box brings forth great ideas. In time, workers who are too comfortable within the environment would struggle finding their creativity with their brain function slowing down to a standstill. This happens a lot in companies; thus, more and more people find Modafinil helpful in boosting and enhancing their brain function.
2. Healthy conflict can’t happen
It is too painful for the cultural faithful to allow. In a company has only hired candidates that fit the culture, they quickly assimilate into the ranks and will rarely take the risk to point out areas that need to be addressed for fear of being alienated by their peers. There is often pressure on a cultural defector to fall back in rank quickly, so most often points of contention or failures are never addressed when they arise and that can actually erode the company from within.
3. A company will lose the power of perspective
In the first 90-180 days after a candidate is hired they have an unbiased and unjaded perspective of what is happening in the company. But companies whose main goal is to indoctrinate new candidates with the cultural expectation will miss out on the opportunity to see their company through fresh eyes and potentially reveal areas where innovation and change could be helpful.
4. Personal identity gets lost
When every candidate hired by the company is a perfect fit for the culture, it is difficult for them to establish their personal identity inside the organisation. This can lead to average performance and dissatisfaction with their position. They may be extremely good at it, and even enjoy it on most levels, but the satisfaction of being recognised as unique individual is difficult, and talented candidates may choose to leave for a more fulfilling environment that values individuals over culture.
The core values of a company should be steady and concrete, but the culture of a company should remain fluid and ever changing to encompass and value the contribution of all it members not just those who ‘fit the culture’.
