The cultural fit dilemma – what is culture?
Buzz word, red flag, motivator or blindfold?
I have worked with many organizations with very different cultures, as well as different ideas about what culture actually means.
Hans-Peter-Gauster, Unsplash
Does your organization have a gig-mindset cultural fit?
The word culture means everything and nothing. Is it a buzz word, a red flag, a motivator or a blindfold?
Culture is used by senior management to inspire people. HR specialists use the concept to help guide hiring decisions. Advisors and consultants say they can help you shape your culture. (They can’t, by the way.)
It all comes down to defining what we mean by cultural fit. Some believe a common, shared culture kills diversity. That it discourages free-thinkers, that it makes it risky to go against the status quo. These are misconceptions. It all depends on what the culture is!
The gig mindset is a work culture. One that values independent thinking, autonomy, risk-taking and reverse leadership. The gig mindset culture is essential today for building resilience and surviving – for individuals and for organizations.
From the introduction of my book The Gig Mindset Advantage:
If management is not aware of the benefits of having a work culture oriented toward the gig mindset, the organization runs a risk of disappearing or diminishing its place in the world.
And…
Today, the gig mindset is a bottom-up and individually driven move- ment. Tomorrow it will become the accepted and encouraged way of working, where leaders will be proud to say they have a gig-mindset work culture.
Culture emerges from actions and interactions
It may be defined in value statements but the reality is that it means why and how people work.
Unfortunately, many people think hiring for cultural fit means “similar to me”. But Joeri Hofmans and Timothy A. Judge make the case for culture meaning “similar values to me” in Hiring for Culture Fit Doesn’t Have to Undermine Diversity: (HBR). They discuss misconceptions…
Culture fit is a “nice to have” but not a necessity.
Hiring for culture fit hurts diversity.
Hiring for culture fit hurts innovation.
They talk about how to hire for cultural fit and how it is a necessity, does not hurt diversity nor innovation.
In one of the case studies in my book, a senior director explains how they evaluate cultural fit through behavior simulations. The short description of Behaviors that Transform along with the other Stories from the Future will – I hope – tempt you to buy my book–The Gig Mindset Advantage.