I agree that often "culture fit" is intended to mean "we didn't like hanging out with him/her," and yes this is complete nonsense. However I do think the phras

I agree that often "culture fit" is intended to mean "we didn't like hanging out with him/her," and yes this is complete nonsense. However I do think the phrase is valid. Culture fit encompasses all of the intangibles outside of skill and experience. Team cohesion is a very real concept and not everyone works harmoniously together. Especially in startups and small companies, one overly "negative" influence (however that's defined for your particular team) can bring down morale and productivity across the board.