How to Tell if a Candidate Will Fit Your Company Culture

How to Tell if a Candidate Will Fit Your Company CultureHow to Tell if a Candidate Will Fit Your Company CultureYou think youve found a great candidate for your job opening. Your potential employee has all of the right technical skills, experience and education. The interview went great - the candidate was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the job. The final step in the hiring process is determining if this candidate will be a fit with the company culture and the team youve worked so hard to build. How do you know? Here are some tips.Step 1 Define your company cultureThe first step comes long before youre at the point of making an offer to a candidate. Clearly assessing your own company culture first and knowing what type of employee you believe will fit in - before you departure interviewing - is the key to making a good hire.This step is especially critical in todays fast-paced IT hiring environment. These days theres no time for a long debate about fit with the workplace env ironment. If you have a good candidate, you need to act quickly to make them an offer or they will move onto another opportunity.Step 2 Make the most of the interviewMaking the most of your interview (or interviews) is critical. Answers to specific questions and body language during an interview can also reveal a lot about whether or not a candidate will be a fit for the company culture. For exampleQuestions Asking what characteristics are exhibited by the best boss you ever had or tell me about the management style that allows you to do your best work provides insight into which type of company culture a candidate is successful in.Body Language Physical reactions to certain questions also can indicate where a candidates skills are and the type of work they value. Look for excitement or what makes the candidate light up and become animated when describing their past work.Stories Asking a candidate to share stories and accomplishments related to projects outside of paid work helps identify the candidates passions and interests. These stories can convey a lot about a candidate without risking questions that may seem too personal.If youre working with a staffing firm, the recruiter may suggest a working interview in addition to a traditional interview. Working interviews can be a good option to examine how the candidate fits into the company culture at your firm. Having the candidate meet with your team and actually do the job for a day is a great way for both sides to get as much information as they possibly can before they make a commitment.Step 3 Trust your gutDo not ignore gut instinct. There is absolutely something to be said when a decision just doesnt feel right. Dig deeper and explore why the decision is causing you to step back. Is it hard to envision the candidate smoothly transitioning into your workplace environment?References are a great source to help you sort through any apprehension about fit with the company culture. Asking references specific questions about your concerns or having them talk you through an experience with the candidate can help expand your knowledge of how that candidate works and what workplace environment is best. Often this different perspective is exactly what you need to hear.Although hiring in todays tech world is moving at a rapid pace, do your due diligence quickly but efficiently. You dont want to hire out of desperation. If you do, that can cost everyone a lot in the long run.Interview technology candidates right awayIf youre hiring an IT pro, we can help make the process easier. You can see profiles of IT candidates in your area using our online database. Tell us who catches your eye, and we can arrange an interview or placement ASAP.Find web developer candidates in Austin, TexasFind software developer candidates in Boise, IdahoFind help desk analyst candidates in Charlotte, N.C.Find desktop support candidates in Sacramento, Calif.Find database administrator candidates in Tucson, Ariz.This po st has been updated to reflect more current information.