3 ms·

> "Candidate X isn't a good cultural fit" has almost always been used as short had for either "I don't want us to hire them, but I can't articulate why in way I

> "Candidate X isn't a good cultural fit" has almost always been used as short had for either "I don't want us to hire them, but I can't articulate why in way I am comfortable with" Either that or "I don't want us to hire them, but I can't say why because it would be against the law." "Culture fit" has mostly become a loophole for anti-discrimination laws.

tbrownaw 8y ago
"Culture fit" has mostly become a loophole for anti-discrimination laws. Is this just gut feel, or based on actual data? Because it sounds contrary to the survey results described in the article.
- TAForObvReasons 8y ago
  There is no untainted data in the subject. Any company that finds itself systemically rejecting protected classes of people through the "culture fit" label is asking for a lawsuit if they made it known to anyone. This is generally a problem with discrimination cases, it is extremely rare to find a real "smoking gun", usually it's just the end result that looks abnormal
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- bunderbunder 8y ago
  Well, the whole 3rd paragraph of the article is talking about how a poorly implemented culture fit criterion can be a place for bias to hide. I would assume that that was meant to mean all kinds of bias, not just bias that has nothing to do with any protected classes. The survey itself was all qualitative, self-reported data. People aren't typically aware of their own racial, gender, etc. biases, so one wouldn't expect to see that being something they up and volunteer in their responses even if it is a factor in how their "culture fit" screen works out in practice.
- s73v3r_ 8y ago
  I mean, no one is going to come right out and say, "We don't hire the Irish" in such a survey.
zdragnar 8y ago
That's a very uncharitable assumption. At a previous company, where I was involved in the hiring process, 'culture fit' almost always was either shorthand for perceived work ethic or lack of ambition. We were primarily concerned with two things: where are you now in your abilities, and where do you aspire to be in your career? You don't need "culture fit" as an excuse to not hire someone you don't want to. If a hiring manager has an illegal bias, there are plenty of ways to avoid hiring a particular candidate.

tbrownaw 8y ago

"Culture fit" has mostly become a loophole for anti-discrimination laws. Is this just gut feel, or based on actual data? Because it sounds contrary to the survey results described in the article.

TAForObvReasons 8y ago
There is no untainted data in the subject. Any company that finds itself systemically rejecting protected classes of people through the "culture fit" label is asking for a lawsuit if they made it known to anyone. This is generally a problem with discrimination cases, it is extremely rare to find a real "smoking gun", usually it's just the end result that looks abnormal
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
bunderbunder 8y ago
Well, the whole 3rd paragraph of the article is talking about how a poorly implemented culture fit criterion can be a place for bias to hide. I would assume that that was meant to mean all kinds of bias, not just bias that has nothing to do with any protected classes. The survey itself was all qualitative, self-reported data. People aren't typically aware of their own racial, gender, etc. biases, so one wouldn't expect to see that being something they up and volunteer in their responses even if it is a factor in how their "culture fit" screen works out in practice.
s73v3r_ 8y ago
I mean, no one is going to come right out and say, "We don't hire the Irish" in such a survey.

zdragnar 8y ago

That's a very uncharitable assumption. At a previous company, where I was involved in the hiring process, 'culture fit' almost always was either shorthand for perceived work ethic or lack of ambition. We were primarily concerned with two things: where are you now in your abilities, and where do you aspire to be in your career? You don't need "culture fit" as an excuse to not hire someone you don't want to. If a hiring manager has an illegal bias, there are plenty of ways to avoid hiring a particular candidate.