Culture Club: Why Hiring for Fit is More Important Than Ever!

Hiring for skills is important, but finding someone who fits your company culture is the real secret to long-term success. Let’s explore why cultural fit matters and how to find candidates who will thrive in your unique environment.

Why Culture Fit Matters


Employee Satisfaction

When employees resonate with your company culture, they’re happier and more engaged. This leads to higher job satisfaction and retention rates. This ultimately means more productivity and saving money on recruiting again.


Team Cohesion

A strong cultural fit fosters better teamwork and collaboration. Employees who share similar values and work styles can communicate more effectively and work together seamlessly. It makes for a more enjoyable work environment for everyone and less HR hassle for you.


Brand Ambassadors

Employees who align with your culture are more likely to become brand ambassadors, promoting your company positively both inside and outside the workplace. This can be useful for attracting more customers and even more talented employees.


Assessing Cultural Fit


Define Your Culture

Clearly articulate your company’s values, mission, and work environment. What makes your company unique? What behaviours and attitudes do you value?


Behavioural Interview Questions

Use questions that reveal how candidates handle situations in line with your culture. For example, ask about how they’ve handled conflicts or worked in a team setting. For more ideas for great interview questions, just get in touch!


Cultural Fit Assessments

Consider using assessments designed to evaluate how well a candidate’s personality and values align with your company’s culture.


Showcasing Your Culture


Career Page

Use your career page to showcase your company culture. Include videos, employee testimonials, and photos to give candidates a real sense of what it’s like to work there.


Social Media

Share behind-the-scenes looks at your company culture on social media. Highlight team events, community involvement, and day-to-day activities.


Office Tours

If possible, give candidates a tour of your office. Let them see the environment they’ll be working in and meet potential future colleagues.


Onboarding for Success


Welcome Packages

Start off on the right foot with a welcome package that reflects your company culture. Include branded swag, a welcome note, and essential information about their new role.


Mentorship Programs

Pair new hires with a mentor to help them navigate the company culture and integrate smoothly into the team.


Culture Training

Include cultural training in your onboarding process. Educate new hires about your company values, expected behaviours, and how they can contribute to the culture.


Hiring for cultural fit is crucial in today’s competitive job market. It’s not just about finding someone who can do the job, but someone who will thrive and contribute positively to your company’s unique environment. By prioritising cultural fit, you’ll build a stronger, more cohesive team that’s ready to take on any challenge. If you'd like some help to find your next culture champion, just get in touch by calling 07540 770679 or you can pop us an email on suzie@harte-consulting.co.uk.



Current Roles 

AI: Time-saving superhero or sneaky job thief?

By Elliot Landy • May 2, 2025
Earlier this year, Madeleine attended a LinkedIn event called ‘Future Ready’ that focused on AI and how it can drive business development in the recruitment industry. Poor Mads had been joking for ages that one day her job would be overtaken by ChatGPT, so it was good to see her looking relieved the next day! 😂 As much as we use AI regularly to speed up certain tasks and save time, the human element is still very much needed to get decent results. For Chat GPT (or any AI software) to be of any real use, the processes behind it need to be solid, consistent and applied properly. You wouldn’t hire an admin assistant without giving them some training and we think of AI in the same way. If you wanted to use it to write a job spec, for example, you’d need to use a prompt that specifies the correct tone of voice, then check the text for inaccuracies, dodgy spelling and any missing information. AI is never going to replace our team’s decision-making, intuition or judge of character, so they don’t need to worry about being replaced! But what it does do is improve productivity so we can spend more time interacting with people and doing what we’re good at. 

Ever feel you're surrounded by idiots?

By Elliot Landy • April 30, 2025
How many times have you felt like you’re surrounded by idiots? There might be a very good reason for this (unless they are certified idiots, then you’re screwed!). 🥴 At Harte, we frequently refer to Persona Profiling, which uses four colours (red, blue, yellow and green) to identify individual traits so we can develop a better understanding of ourselves and others. From a recruitment point of view, this helps to define a job seeker’s characteristics and assess whether they’d be suited to a role or fit in with a business’s culture. Someone who is a ‘fiery red’ for example, will be results-orientated, strong-willed, and driven to achieve, whereas a ‘cool blue’ personality will have a more conventional energy that thrives on analysis and asking questions before making a move. Knowing this sort of information makes finding the right ‘fit’ for a company a whole lot easier because we have a clear idea of the traits and behaviours that are aligned with the role. It also gives us an indication of when we need to take a step back and slow things down in interviews to really get to know the job-seeker properly. If you’re keen to find out more about the four personality types, have a read of (or listen to) this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate/dp/1250179947 Do you know what energy colour you lead by?

Quantity Surveyor - 1227067

By Elliot Landy • April 29, 2025
Basic salary: Up to £63,000, £5,100 car allowance, so total up to £68,100 per annum, plus a 5% annual discretionary bonus. Location: Leeds
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