Culture Fit Interview
Author:
Alycia Damp, PhD IRHRAn interview designed to help you assess your candidates' values, workstyle, and other individual differences that will help you identify fit between candidates and your company.
Focus area:
Question
1
Based on your past work history and professional experience, in what type of work environment were the happiest and most productive.
What does this question reveal?
Preferences for organizational culture and workstyle
Explore tips
- Discusses attributes that align with your organization
- References different organizational factors (people, place, work, etc.)
- Highlights the values that shaped the environment/culture
- Shares a story from past experience to support their claims
Question
2
What is your strongest skill set that would help you excel in this position? What are your professional superpowers?
What does this question reveal?
Communicate their unique strengths and what makes them stand out
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Question
3
Based on your existing knowledge of our company, which of our values resonates with you the most and why?
What does this question reveal?
Knowledge of company values and assessment of fit
Explore tips
- Clearly and accurately identifies values
- Describes how the organization's values are aligned with their own
- Clearly and convincingly explains why the values are meaningful to them
- Connects with the mission of the company and wants to drive the company forward
Question
4
Imagine I asked your work colleagues to describe the unique ways in which you support others and add to the company culture. What do you think they would tell me?
What does this question reveal?
Exhibits self-awareness of how they support, include, and impact others
Explore tips
- Exhibits everyday habits of inclusion and collaboration
- Communicates how their colleagues perceive they add value
- Articulates how their value-add is connected to the organization’s values/goals
- Involves colleagues in decision making and solicits different perspectives
Question
5
What were the best and worst things about your last job, and why?
What does this question reveal?
Preferred type of working environment
Explore tips
- Discusses cues and attributes that reflect your organization
- Notes preferences that fit the role in question and the organization
- References different organizational factors (people, place, work, etc.)
- Justifies their choices in a genuine and authentic way
Question
6
Describe a supportive work environment and a non-supportive work environment you have experienced. How did you contribute to the supportive environment and what would have made the non-supportive one better?
What does this question reveal?
Support others and contribute to a supportive environment
Explore tips
- Describes actions they took to support others personally and professionally
- Explains the specific type of support they received from others
- Clearly communicates what support means to them
Question
7
What are your hopes for learning in this role? What will define the experience?
What does this question reveal?
Embrace challenges and drive development in their role
Explore tips
- Wants to encounter challenges that provide an opportunity to grow and develop
- Would use initiative in shaping and advancing the company's strategic vision
- Identifies areas for learning that are highly related to the job or organization
- Communicates how the learnings will benefit the job and organization
Question
8
What do 'fairness' and 'inclusivity' mean to you? How would you promote fairness and inclusivity in an organizational environment?
What does this question reveal?
Think about and facilitate fairness at work
Explore tips
- Discusses embracing differences and ensuring others feel respected/supported
- Talks about respecting other people's ideas, opinions and values
- Discusses ensuring performance evaluations are free from bias/based on merit
- Acknowledges and communicates the importance of managing bias
Question
9
Why is the mission of our company personally important to you?
What does this question reveal?
Show interest in/personal alignment with company's mission
Explore tips
- Expresses an understanding of the company's mission
- Identifies with the problems the company is trying to solve
- Is motivated to make an impact on the mission
- Justifies their points with evidence from past experience
Question
10
When looking back on your career so far, who do you most owe your success to and why?
What does this question reveal?
Propensity to share credit and their definition of success
Explore tips
- Shares credit for their success to one or two key people
- Refrains from embellishing the person's status
- Focuses on how the person empowered them to achieve success
- Recognizes that their success has been shaped by the support of others
Question
11
What are three aspects of your work that provide you with the greatest sense of personal satisfaction?
What does this question reveal?
Intrinsic motivation and where their passion lies
Explore tips
- Notes aspects that provide a sense of meaning and let them have an impact
- Notes aspects that allow for self-expression and personal identification
- Notes aspects that enable them to apply a variety of skills
- Can identify the specific means by which they have had an impact in their work
Question
12
What is one thing you wish I had asked you in our conversation today?
What does this question reveal?
Self-awareness of unique strengths and value-add
Explore tips
- Gives a response that is relevant to the role in question
- Justifies their suggestion by explaining their value-add
- Exhibits strengths that were not previously covered
