Thoughtfully growing a team is crucial for any hiring manager, but it can be a challenging task. A bad hire costs a company money, time, and resources. Businesses and leaders must be willing to do things differently to grow and expand successfully.

As a hiring manager, it’s easy to fall into the mindset of hiring for “culture fit”, however, I challenge you to reframe this thinking. Hiring solely for culture fit restricts a company’s potential. Businesses and leaders who continue to hire for fit and seek to maintain the status quo, are missing out on impactful contributors who bring unique and fresh perspectives, backgrounds, and skills.

It's time to say goodbye to cultural fit and embrace cultural add!

Candidates who are cultural additions offer these unique qualities that drive innovation and bridge business gaps. Embracing cultural adds can propel business growth, support the acquisition of new customers, and facilitate entry into diverse markets and industries.

Fay Wilberforce, Ivanti’s Director, Recruitment in EMEA began the journey of hiring for cultural addition rather than fit many years ago at a previous company when she had an enlightening experience that underscored the importance of considering cultural add candidates.

“I was working with a hiring manager who was looking to fill a critical role on their team. The initial tendency was to find someone who would seamlessly blend into the existing team dynamic and hit the ground running —essentially, a perfect culture fit. While these are valid considerations, I shared insights on how diverse perspectives and experiences can drive innovation and open new avenues for growth.

I presented a candidate who, on paper, might not have seemed like an immediate fit. They had taken an unusual path into our industry and had recently taken some time out of the workplace to raise a young family. They also had a unique approach to problem-solving, but I knew from our interview that this person had real potential. Initially, there was some hesitation from the hiring manager, but I encouraged them to consider how this candidate’s background could bring fresh ideas and new strategies to the team.

We decided to move forward with an interview, and throughout the interview process, it became clear that this candidate offered innovative solutions and had a track record of successfully navigating challenges that our team hadn’t yet faced.

In the end, the hiring manager recognized the immense value this candidate could bring and decided to offer them the position. Since joining, this new team member not only integrated well but introduced several new initiatives, processes, and expanded their market reach. The employee went on to be promoted within a year.

This experience reinforced my belief that hiring for cultural addition, rather than just for fit, truly enhances a team’s capabilities and drives our business forward.”

If a company's employees aren’t representative of our diverse society, how can they truly connect with and serve customers from various backgrounds? At Ivanti, we’re committed to hiring individuals who can enrich our culture and contribute to our vibrant and diverse workforce. We recognize that hiring for culture fit often means bringing in people with similar experiences and backgrounds, which can inadvertently limit overall diversity and innovation.

Instead of backfilling roles with replica hires, we’ve taken a different approach to hiring, designing positions with success in mind, focusing on how a person can add to our culture, and welcoming fresh ideas and new perspectives. We believe that this approach not only strengthens our company but also helps us better serve our diverse customer base.

Hiring for cultural add may feel like a risk at first, but don’t let that stop you from building a stronger, smarter, and more diverse team!