Reconsidering "Culture-Fit" in Recruitment

An article in InvestmentNews offers insights on diversity in hiring that can help boards in their recruitment and onboarding processes. The author Rianka Dorsainvil, founder and president of Your Greatest Contribution, writes that instead of hiring for culture-fit entities may wish to consider hiring for culture-add. “Culture-add,” Dorsainvil writes, focuses on finding applicants who are an exceptional fit for a position based on their qualifications, as well as the unique perspective and background they bring to the positions. She advises entities to look for individuals who have transferable skills that can add value and that can move the organization in the right direction and to be prepared to add the structural support needed for these individuals (e.g., flexible schedules for parents). To find the right individual she advises expanding the search to include a wider talent pool, to review and revise the job description to ensure the language does not unintentionally contain exclusionary language, and to make sure the hiring process truly considers candidates’ qualifications.