Focus on culture add, not culture fit, when looking to attract talent

For several decades, hiring teams and managers talked about finding people who were a perfect fit.

Firstly, we all know ‘perfect’ is not the goal, ever. Smart teams strive for progress over perfection. Applying a mindset of continuous improvement is far more effective, not to mention a smart lens through which to look at hiring. How can we hire for the future? Every hiring moment is an opportunity to transform and upgrade your team.

Secondly, no one should have to ‘fit’ into anything. Everyone is unique, and that should be celebrated. Hanging on to the idea that you should fit within something is counter to inclusivity. 

Not to mention using this feedback during a recruitment process. It's not a nice feeling to be told you’re not a good fit.

It’s human nature to want to belong and feel connected. Relationships are key to an organisation because business is people. The disconnect between being a good or bad fit is not the best approach.

At Heart, we prefer to talk about a culture add. How is this person adding to the culture and success of our organisation? Using the word ‘add’ allows you to focus on what a person can bring to the organisation and how they can be a valuable addition. It focuses on positivity and opportunity rather than if they fit into a mould.

According to Glassdoor, 3 out of 4 job seekers believe a diverse workforce is an important factor when deciding which organisation they’d like to work for. A successful culture add stems from taking the right approach to diversity.

• Diversity is a mindset, not a strategy.

• Diversity sits at the heart of an organisation. It’s part of the foundation, not a new initiative or side project.

• Diversity equals opportunity.

An organisation that embraces diversity is more likely to attract a wider pool of skills, characters and experience. Diversity is the perfect backdrop to innovative thinking and increased growth.

Business News Daily outlines the 4 types of diversity:

Internal diversity: This is what a person is born with and cannot change, like race, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation.

 External diversity: This is something you are not born with but that heavily influences you, like interests, education, appearance or citizenship.

Organisational diversity: This relates to your workplace and includes job role, work environment or seniority status. 

Worldview diversity: This is anything someone experiences or observes that changes how they view the world around them. This includes politics, world events or pop culture.  

Diversity shows that you value every individual’s unique contribution. For a truly diverse organisation, you must fully understand your people. Diversity allows you to deliver a better employee experience, which leads to better engagement, higher retention and a reason for talent to choose you as their employer.

Forbes explains the importance of diversity when leading an organisation.

‘We need to lead with diversity by actively seeking out people who are different than we are, not to meet a hiring target but because we genuinely believe in the power of diversity to strengthen our teams.’

Here are a few ways to attract talent with a culture add 

Challenge your criteria

Consider whether you are discounting people because they don’t meet the criteria. If they don’t have the same years of experience or haven’t earned a specific qualification, it doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be a good addition. Life experiences, alternative skills and a thirst for learning are also great attributes to factor in. 

Instead of asking ‘why this person?’, start asking ‘why not this person?’.

Offer non-financial benefits that reflect a diverse workforce

Diversity touches every aspect of your organisation’s operations, including what you offer employees as benefits. Simple changes to traditional benefits can make them more diverse. For example, try offering floating holidays. This means that people can observe religious and cultural celebrations other employers don’t recognise as paid holidays.

Use unconventional sources

Don’t follow tradition and look for talent where everyone else is looking. Break convention, look outside of your industry and build relationships with diverse organisations. Migrants are a great source of talent, Bringing unique perspectives, ideas and skill sets. Australian Red Cross was recently awarded a contract as part of the WA Government’s Skilled Migration Strategy to prepare skilled migrants for employment in Australia.

Examples of organisations embracing diversity

Mastercard

Mastercard has ranked in DiversityInc’s top 10 for diversity due to the organisation's commitment to diversity. They have prioritised equal pay for equal work. They use technology for social good. And they are sponsors of Girls4Tech, a STEM curriculum providing mentorships and career support to girls aged 8 to 16. Mastercard also offers benefits that include transgender surgery coverage, same-sex domestic partner coverage, surrogacy and adoption assistance and fertility treatments.

Accenture

Accenture was voted number 1 in Refinitiv’s Diversity and Inclusion Index for its commitment to building a diverse culture. The organisation invested US$1.1 billion in learning and development opportunities for its people. They’ve announced goals to create a workforce that is more representative of the places in which it works, planning to improve diversity hiring in South Africa, the UK and the US by 2025.

L’Oréal

L’Oreal has proudly earned the EDGE (Economic Dividend for Gender Equality) certification in the US. This badge of honour confirms L’Oréal’s efforts towards diversity, equity and inclusion. The business has also declared its commitment to gender equity and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees. Women comprise 68% of the total workforce. Half of all L’Oréal board members are women, with 32% working as executive board members. 

Final thoughts

According to Gartner, people who work in diverse and inclusive teams show a 12% increase in performance. In another study, results showed that diverse teams make better business decisions 87% of the time. 

Diversity is not just a buzzword; it has an impact on your organisation. It provides a positive environment for people to work in and shapes the employer brand of an industry leader. Add more to your culture by committing to diversity. Think culture add not culture fit to engage, retain and attract the right talent.

For more insights, visit the Heart Talent blog.