Examples of company culture interview questions

Culture can be defined as the beliefs, attitudes, practices, and goals of the company. It is how the employees interact with each other and how a certain organization makes decisions. A good culture influences the daily tasks of employees in the organization and can strengthen the company by diversifying the perspective and experience of its workforce. 

It is highly recommended for organizations to hire culture-fit employees. Cultural fit can be defined as the alignment of an organization’s culture and core values with its employees. If an applicant has the required skills and requirements of the job but is not culturally fit for the organization then that employee will be a bad hire for the company. 

According to the Robert Walters Group, 90% of employers think that is highly vital to find candidates who are a good cultural fit. Therefore, it is very important for new hires to be compatible with the culture as incompatibility can make it harder for them to succeed in the company and may result in many communication problems. 

Why should employees be culturally fit?

Robert Walter Groups is a specialist recruitment consultancy that works as a recruitment partner with businesses of all sizes. They have an international presence in 28 countries. 

Based on their survey of over 1000 hiring managers and professionals all over the UK, identifies the impacts of companies’ culture on employees’ productivity and satisfaction. 

Following are some findings from their survey:

• 73% of the employees have left their jobs because of poor culture fit.
• 82% of the employees feel that they have worked for an organization whose culture they did not like. 
• 87% of the companies offer induction to new hires on company culture and values whereas 60% of the employees think they have been misinformed regarding the company culture in their induction process.
• 87% of professionals and hiring managers think that senior management should shape the workplace culture. 
• 69% of the employees think that they research company culture by asking questions during the interview.
• 90% of greater job satisfaction is achieved through a good cultural fit.
• 98% of companies believe that when considering an employee for a management role, being culturally fit is highly essential.
• Only 18% of companies use psychometric testing to find if an employee can be a good culture fit for them.
• 69% of employees wanted to leave the organization as soon as possible as they were not a good fit with the culture of the company.
• 78% of the culturally fit employees feel that their respect for the company increases.

What should organizations do to make their employees culturally fit?

Being culturally fit is equally important for both companies and employees. The applicants should also learn about the company’s culture before their interview to know whether the company is a strong cultural fit for them or not. 

The applicant will be happier if his values are aligned with the company’s values. Moreover, it will be easier for the applicant to convey to the interviewer that he will be a strong addition to the company’s culture. He or she would know beforehand what the organization expects from them, and what kind of employees they are looking for. All this information will be highly valuable for him in his interview. 

Organizations find such employees by asking them questions regarding the company culture. This will help in determining if the applicant will be a good fit with the company. These questions have no right or wrong answers, but a bad fit can be problematic for the employer and employees as well. 

The following questions help employers find if the applicant is a good cultural match:

• How would you define corporate culture in six words?
• Do you like to work as a part of a team or independently?
• What is your preferred management style?
• Were you a good cultural fit with your last employer?
• In which type of working environment are you most productive?
• What motivates you to come to work every day?
• Do you feel comfortable with a 9-to-5 schedule or with flexibility?
• Are you social with your co-workers at work or you would like to get your work done and leave?
• How would your previous co-workers or manager describe you?
• Do you feel more comfortable following a set of guidelines or taking initiatives?
• Describe your ideal company culture and a workplace environment?
• Do you normally check your emails during working hours or non-working hours?
• 1Do you prefer working remotely?
• Did you make any changes in your previous company?
• What factors can make your stay in the organization longer?

In conclusion, company culture plays a vital role in making the relationship between employee and employer successful. It is also a key component in achieving job satisfaction and higher productivity. 

A company culture software can be a great help in this case. Asking the above-mentioned questions will help companies hire potential and great culturally fit employees and the software will help in creating and sharing these effectively. 

It is also not necessary that employees are not the exact cultural fit, but they need to be a close fit to their organization’s culture.

Learn more in our articles such as How to improve company culture and Types of company culture.