How to ace culture fit interviews
Do you know what your interviewers expect from you in a cultural fit interview? Keep reading.
What is the culture fit interview?
Everyone wants to work in a fun environment and to get along with his colleagues. The recruiter uses the culture fit interview to find an applicant that is a good fit for the company’s culture.
The recruiter is looking for answers to questions like :
- Will that applicant add value to the team?
- Will the team want to work with the applicant day after day?
- Is the applicant a stuck-up ego-filled person?
- Should the company hire that applicant?
What kind of questions should you expect in a culture fit interview?
Recruiters will ask questions like :
- Brief summary of who you are and what you do?
- Why do you want to join our company?
- Why do you want to leave your current company?
- What are you most proud of in your work history?
- Why did you move from X to Y?
Recruiters normally look at the applicant's resume before the interview and write a few questions about things that they find noteworthy. They do that to follow up and understand the applicant's mindset.
All of these questions aim to understand the applicant's journey so far and his motivation for each step in that journey.
Is there a perfect correct answer?
No, every person has a unique journey, every employee might have a totally different motivation. To answer in a "correct" way one needs to know himself, his journey, and how to tell his own story.
**Knowing yourself is key**
You need to spend some time to find out what is most interesting about you! Every person is different. We all have different personalities, different experiences. It's super critical to be able to self-reflect and define what are your strengths and weaknesses. Self-reflection is not a "do it once" kind of process. It’s on-going. Everyone should take the time and self-reflect every once in a while.
Are there any tips to answer the most common questions?
Summarize who you are and what you have been doing in a ~2-minute cool, fun story. For example, you can tell about why you decided to become an engineer and your accomplishments that relate to the job or the company the most.
When explaining your motivation to join the company, mention 2 concrete reasons that excite you about the company’s business, product, industry, or the job.
To talk about the reasons why you want to leave your current company focus on the positive aspects of getting a new job instead of saying what you dislike about your current company or role. The same applies to the reasons why you moved from job X to Y. Focus on the bright side of the new job. E.g. new learning opportunities, career growth, more responsibilities, and challenges, etc.
Talking about what you are proud of in your career is an opportunity to show your excitement in being an engineer, and your values. E.g. You are proud of having created an app used by millions, or have worked with a team in another country, or have learned a new and important technology. Self-reflection is core to answer this question.
What to do during a culture fit interview?
- Be confident, Honest.
- Ask questions.
- Research the company beforehand, Research the interviewer.
- Know the position you are applying for
- Try to get a feel of what the company was going through the past year.
What not to do during a culture fit interview?
- Don't invent stories.
- Don't lie.
What questions can the applicant ask to know the culture of the company?
- How long have you been here?
- What do you love about working here?
- What do you not love about working here?
- What types of people seem to be successful in the team?
- If you could do 1 thing to improve culture, What would it be?
I hope you’ve enjoyed the reading and it helps you prepare for your next culture fit interview. If you still have questions about the topic, let us know in the comments below.
Best wishes from Team Imagine in Berlin.