Why You Absolutely Can't Overlook Cultural Fit When Choosing a Job

The first areas that most prospective job seekers will consider for any new opportunity generally centre on duties, salary, location and the possibility of career progression. From my observations, one aspect that is glossed over – and perhaps not given enough thought – is 'cultural fit'. It's easy to underestimate the importance of this facet when reading a job description, a job advertisement or even during a phone interview with a hiring manager.

However, this is an area that I consider just as crucial in deciding which company will sufficiently meet your objectives. I recently had a situation where a prospective candidate was over the moon at the thought of moving to a particular company.

The reputation of this successful, global organisation suggested a glamorous and fun environment where progression was assured and processes would be as efficient as possible. Expectations were very high! I found this to be a common response whenever the company's name was mentioned. I had come to realise from previous situations that an appropriate clarification was required to highlight that these expectations may not be necessarily met by the culture of this particular internal team. I say 'team' specifically, as the culture of this team wasn't really indicative of the company in general, and other departments had more vibrant teams.

While, of course, there are many benefits and teams that do live up to the expectations that this company can meet, going head first into a new company/team/culture without the appropriate consideration of the team fit, office culture, or impact of social interactions may be your undoing in the role. I would advise all prospective job seekers to ask your consultant, your prospective managers and other interviewers about the team culture, work environment and employer expectations before making that final decision!