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The article fails to realize that "cultural fit" is an ineffable, inherently implicit judgment. You can't reasonably make a checklist of "cultural fit" items fo
by cloakandswagger 11y ago
The article fails to realize that "cultural fit" is an ineffable, inherently implicit judgment. You can't reasonably make a checklist of "cultural fit" items for this reason.
More importantly, "cultural fit" is a good catchall for probably the most important aspect of hiring someone: Your instinctual, gut feeling about the person. Do they seem like someone you want to work with 8 hours a day? Is there something "off" about them?
These are incredibly important subconscious criteria that can't be explicitly codified, and the term "cultural fit" is a good umbrella term for them.
- AdeptusAquinas 11y agoThe article seems to exactly match your definition - something that cant really be defined, and therefore is probably not a valid criteria in which to judge someone. 'Instinctual, gut feels' can tap into gender bias, racial concerns, stuff you wouldn't rationally accept if you said them out loud. By discarding reason when evaluating an employee subconscious discrimination comes to the fore.
- sheepmullet 11y agoIt can. On the other hand so can pretty much anything as humans are amazing at rationalising. On the other hand I've been burned multiple times when I have gone against my gut instinct.
- abduhl 11y agoThis implies that culture fit is a guise for discrimination. Which, let's be honest, is what it is in most cases. An old person doesn't fit the culture of a young tech startup. A woman doesn't fit the culture of the executive level. A black person doesn't fit the culture of the new neighborhood. A guy that works out every day doesn't fit the culture of a disruptive and innovative company.
- therobot24 11y agoWhoa there, culture fit may be a guise for discrimination, but I don't think it's in the same sense you're referring to. Rather I believe it's along the lines of, 'we don't think you'll drink the kool-aid like the rest of us do', and regardless, just because someone is qualified for the job doesn't mean they're the right fit for it.
- xacaxulu 11y agoIn that vein, literally anything could be a guise for discrimination.
- s73v3r 11y agoI think that's the point: You can't make an objective decision about it, so it turns into a bunch of feely stuff, and that's really bad to base hiring decisions on.
- sheepmullet 11y agoWhy is that really bad?
- s73v3r 11y agoBecause it causes you to skip over qualified candidates simply because they don't want to play ping pong all afternoon or partake in the office kegger.