See who is already coming to #socialrecruiting summit in November!

Blog Network

Cultural Unfit follow this blog post

posted by on Aug. 21, 2009

I will keep this short and sweet and I would like to hear your experience as a  recruiter, manager or a candidate in this matter. so far this year, I have heard of candidates (some of them mine) get rejected after thier phone or FTF interviews. One reason given "culturally unfit for the position". It is interesting to note that all these people were not Americans, even though they were US citizens.

I had never heard of this reason until this year. Is this where things are heading now, that clients will decline people because of where they come from, even if they have the skills and more for the position. I am really shocked!!!!

What does your experience say?? Is this trend going to increase??

citizens culture interview
| 6 comments | flag

6 comments

Log in or register to post a reply.

  • 2 points 2 months ago

    Ruchita,

    Bill Wager has given you the best advice, by far, in my oipinion. When you do not know what really happened, call your client and politely ask for an explanation. In this case, you could say, "...'culturally unfit' can mean different things to different people...can you explain what your meaning was so that I can better serve your needs in my search efforts?" 

    That is what you really need to do in this case.

    Jim

  • 1 point 2 months ago

    The "culture" your internal clients are referencing is probably the corporate culture, not their nationality, although that can definitely be a determining factor.


    As an example, in the Seattle tech market, Project Management professionals that are a good fit at Microsoft are rarely a good fit for Boeing. MSFT has a very autonomous, entrepreneurial culture that values creativity and in many cases taking a lot of risks at various levels. Change orders are much more common, and being ready to change your focus quickly is par for the course. Boeing, on the other hand, is very methodical and structured and *must* be due to its industry niche in aerospace. A PM can have all the right skills and background but not be a good cultural fit for the team or the company.

  • 1 point 3 months ago

    Instead of making an assumption, why don't you call your client and find out what that meant.

  • 1 point 3 months ago

    I would agree with Edward's post. I tend to think of it as not fitting into the company's culture or with the particular team. Our organization has a diverse culture in the people we hire. When someone "doesn't fit" the culture, it is more that they may not have the right chemistry for the team and perhaps would not be as succuessful in their career endeavors with us.

  • 1 point 3 months ago

    My experience translates "culturally unfit for the position" as "doesn't fit into the team".  I think it is my job as a recruiter to understand the company culture well enough to not bring them someone who won't fit into their environment and way of thinking.  I don't see it as a reference to the racial or societal culture.

    Best Regards from Germany,


    Edward

  • 1 point 3 months ago

    Hi Ruchita,

    I can't say whether this is an actual "trend" in the way you seem to perceive it or not, but what I can say is that you can expect to hear the term a lot more in the near future for a number of reasons.

    1. As companies work to develop a more culturally diverse workforce, there may be a tendency toward both conscious unconscious quotas. You'll see a "little bit of everyone and not a whole lot of anyone".  At worst, it is an uniformed attempt to create a culture that mirrors a company's client base.  At best, it is laying the groundwork for promising dialogues among people who would not have come together otherwise.

    2. Because the economy is still in flux most people are hesitant to make a final buying decision.  We are looking  for bargains and any way to hold off on spending money.  The only thing we are interested in buying is more time before we are forced to sign on the "line that is dotted".  For them, saying "culturally unfit" sounds better than saying, "I'm not ready to decide." If this is the case, it is up to you as the recruiter to serve both parties by making sure that all of the blocks are being removed so that a connection can be made.

    3. You could actually come across more enlightened companies that have a clear vision of where they want to be in the next few years.  Perhaps they have a well defined succession plan that you don't know about. Maybe they want to become more aggressive or less abrasive and so they are choosing to engage in relationships that will contribute to their new leanings.  In this situation, there are an infinite number of combinations that can only be clarified by you asking questions about what "culturally unfit" means to them and perhaps asking to interview a few people on the inside that have an idea of what a "cultural fit" would be.

    This gives you an opportunity to learn more about your client and it will help them see that you are really looking out for them and their present and future needs.  Everybody wins.  I hope this shines some light on your situation.