Culture Flavor

Video Transcript

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SE 5 (Flavor)

I’ve recently seen where companies have been getting pushback on social media for creating experiential interviews. The company has a culture where everyone pitches in so they leave out a bit of trash or make some sort of mess and see how the candidate responds or if they even notice. I have seen some real Twitter hate because of it. I think it’s a great idea is that of asking about a time they pitched in or noticed something that needed fixed. They offer the experience to demonstrate. Granted some of the resistance has been that the candidate is nervous or super focused but if the candidate is coming in with simply memorized answers then how much better to get a glimpse of the unrehearsed authentic person in action. This week we’re exploring hiring for culture fit a subject that seems to divide the masses. Those opposed to fit prefer hiring for culture and they propose this enlarges an organization’s culture. It’s a lovely sentiment and well intended it just lacks understanding of h ow culture serves an organization. Welcome to another episode of shaping environments where we stretch an idea discovering new dimensions that expands our capacity. Today I’d like to offer a different phrase that hopefully can unite us in our conversations around hiring in light of culture. The reason the phrase culture fit seems to rub some the wrong way is because they mistakenly imagine it means sameness. He’s sort of homogenised approach if we hire people who fit here then everyone is the same which is just not true. Whether age color gender perspective history there is a sense culture fit lacks diversity. Thus the desire to add to the culture. However when culture is built on values like true and integrate and I’m talking about healthy cultures those other characteristics aren’t what’s considered culture. Making a smart hire through the culture lens is about how naturally someone aligns with the beliefs offered in the values. I propose a new phrase culture flavor. My daughter i s an amazing Baker. She just made some chocolate chip cookies yesterday. The ingredients that go into making chocolate chip cookies are not unique. Sugar flour eggs butter however it’s the blending of these ingredients and not including other ingredients that produce a most tasty treat culture is similar. There are many organizations who have values like excellence service respect diversity fun creativity and yet those ingredients play out differently in each company. Sure some companies just list those ingredients on the wall and don’t bake up any cozier with them. But I’m speaking about places who are intentional about their culture places where they consciously grow their people and their organization through their culture design. The ingredients are what define each unique culture that one culture company may have a service ingredient. And they emphasize the customer. Another place with service may lean strongly into the community at large and how they give back. Another may foc us on service as internal interactions. How we serve one another where a candidate an employee thrives best is where they already align with some of those ingredients. The culture and philosophy of philosophy appears to say hey your cookie dough doesn’t have any barbecue sauce in it. You need to diversify. If you only use cookie dough ingredients you’ll miss out on what barbecue sauce can offer you its good intentions but I assure you if barbecue sauce is hired we won’t be benefiting or adding it to the cookie dough culture barbecue sauce needs to work at the brisket company. He will kill it there but now I know what you’re thinking. They could make barbecue cookies if they hired him. Nope wouldn’t happen and it’s not because they’re not inclusive and not diverse but because barbecue sauce doesn’t align with the values and mission of the cookie den with culture flavor and individual expands and diversifies by contributing their unique self in line with the values of an organization one employee may say. Let’s add some frosting to this chocolate chip culture or I think we should go a sugar cookie route or even another says let’s do chocolate chocolate chunk. They can involve the culture that way because they already align with who they are and where they’re going. A healthy culture continues to grow and evolve over time in light of who is on the team. Undoubtedly. But hiring barbecue sauce will never add to that culture. Same as scratchy or mustard or paprika. All these flavors fit in several dishes in some of them. They’re the main flavor. In others they enhance flavors. But every dish doesn’t benefit from every ingredient. Understanding that is true of culture helps significantly employees and companies that have strong culture often attributed to the hiring process and those that do the hiring. They’re not employing candidates who are like everyone else they’re drafting individuals who bring a seasoning that enables and challenges those currently on the team to grow. Now that’s a deliciously flavored way to hire for culture fit. Plus add equals flavor. Who do you know that gets excited about this conversation topic tag him. Where do you stand. I’d love to hear your comments below. Thank you for being willing to share. My name is Gray hawks. We shape environments where everyone gets to contribute their best daily. Thanks for letting us serve you.