We have all read the headlines: “What is Culture and How Do You change It?” “10 Examples of Companies With Fantastic Cultures” and the list goes on. Culture is the newest buzz word, but what so many people get wrong in the conversation on culture is the notion that you can build your own culture.

I recently read a friend’s post insisting that companies hire based on “culture fit” and was immediately alarmed. {Insert long list of reasons why, based on my professional experience, I was alarmed}.

A company culture is not static. It is ever changing. So to hire someone based on a culture fit is inherently flawed. If you choose to hire someone based on what the company culture is today, then that person may not be a good fit for the culture when it changes. Because the culture will change. Period. No matter the company, no matter the size, no matter the industry…the culture will change.

You’ll have to see a future post to find out why an ever-evolving culture is a good thing, but for now I’ll continue.

“A company culture is not static. It is ever changing. So to hire someone based on a culture fit is inherently flawed.”

-Marquis H. Barnett

Cultures and subcultures are prevalent in all organizations. The organizational culture details what the organization believes, and how it chooses to achieve its success (in a way oversimplified, non-comprehensive definition). Subcultures include the individual group dynamics which steer teams that are getting work done. Subcultures are as powerful, if not more powerful, than the company’s overall culture.

I encourage every person who is reading this post to stop thinking about hiring for a “Culture Fit”. How many times have you gone to the store and found something that fit you perfectly? If your answer was anything greater than one, WAY TO GO YOU! A lot of us are not that lucky. Perhaps you try something on and you really like the way it looks, but it doesn’t quite fit you right in all the areas you want. But it’s still a really great article of clothing. So what do you do? Do you put it back on the rack and keep shopping until you find something that fits just right? Or do you buy that article and make it work for you?

That could include tailoring it. Or accessorizing it just right. That’s how I want you to think about making hires. We are all the sum of our experiences. And because no two human experiences are identical, it is impossible to hire the same person twice (re-hires notwithstanding). For so long we have taught there are two options: Hiring Perfection vs. Hiring Potential. That’s just not true. You don’t have to resign yourself to hiring the right person or settling. Redefine the right person.

And a “Culture Fit” is not the answer. Look forward to Part II to find out what I think the right answer is.