How to Prioritize Culture in Your Hiring Process: 35 Culture Fit Interview Questions

In the US, the average adult spends 90,000 hours at work—that’s a lot of time, especially if people don’t feel at home where they work. By focusing on cultural alignment at the hiring stage, you can build a workplace that fosters innovation, growth and positive experiences for employees.

Hiring people who share your company’s goals and values helps you maintain a positive company culture. On the other hand, the wrong culture fit could throw off the company’s dynamic, leading to a disconnected and distracting workplace.

The tricky part? If you don’t handle them right, culture fit interviews can start to look like something else: personal biases and gut feelings.

In this article, we delve into effective strategies for assessing culture fit, explore potential pitfalls in the interview process, and provide guidance on how to conduct these evaluations objectively.

What Is Culture Fit, and Why Is It Important?

Culture fit means your people align with the company’s goals and values. A great company culture allows employees to thrive in their environment, and it’s the glue that binds teams together, so it’s important to hire candidates who are excited about working toward your goals and who are bought into your values.

The benefits of hiring someone who fits the company culture include:

• Improved Employee Engagement: Employees who relate with the company culture feel connected to their work, leading to higher levels of engagement and commitment.
• High Organizational Performance: Employees who resonate with the company culture drive productivity and contribute positively to overall business performance.
• Increased Job Satisfaction: Culture-fit employees tend to experience higher job satisfaction, leading to lower turnover rates and higher retention.
• Better Team Collaboration: Cultural alignment fosters a cohesive environment for effective teamwork and collaboration.

Culture Fit vs. Culture Add

Culture fit and culture add are fairly interchangeable. In general, a culture fit is someone who aligns well with your company values, and a culture add is someone who brings something new and fresh to the table.

For example, if you hiring with a “culture add” perspective, you might be more focused on bringing in a set of diverse experiences and skills to enhance your company culture. For “culture fit,” you might focus more on building a cohesive workplace.

But whether your company needs to welcome more innovation and new perspectives or grow an already thriving culture, what’s important is being intentional about the candidates you choose and being fair during the hiring process.

Assessing for Culture Fit While Avoiding Bias

Culture fit should never mean “the same as me,” and it should never be used as an excuse to discriminate against people. Unfortunately, that’s what happens when you don’t have strict criteria for assessing culture. Not only are you cutting out a huge portion of the candidate pool and missing out on talented people, but you’re also exposing your organization to anti-discrimination lawsuits.

So how do you build a thriving and innovative workplace that consists of people from varying perspectives, backgrounds, and work experiences while staying true to your culture?

The good news is you don't have to set your company culture aside entirely to have a fair hiring process, but you do have to be more deliberate in limiting personal bias.

Here are some recommendations:

• Focus on Values: Identify a few values that define the company. ‌Ask questions that highlight how a candidate’s personal values align with or support company values.
• Conduct Structured Interviews: You’ll want to aim to establish a fair, consistent, and transparent hiring process that truly assesses whether candidates will thrive in your organization. The way to do that is to give all candidates for the same role the same questions. For example, use standardized questions with predefined evaluation criteria.
• Involve a Diverse Hiring Panel: Include people from different backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to evaluate candidates against criteria that reflect diverse organizational needs and values.

The 35 Best Culture Fit Interview Questions (and Answers to Look For)

We’ve gathered a set of interview questions designed to assess cultural alignment. Each question is paired with several sample responses that demonstrate a strong cultural fit.

1. Why did you choose to apply here?

It’s important to find out why a candidate is attracted to your organization. Their answers can be a strong indicator of how their values and interests align with the company’s culture.

Sample Answers

If your company values teamwork and growth, here are examples of positive candidate answers:

• “I was drawn to your company’s innovative spirit and emphasis on team collaboration. I appreciate feeling safe and supported when sharing my ideas with others, and I thrive in environments that encourage teamwork and creativity.”
• “I was attracted to your company’s reputation for employee development. I value continuous learning, and I’m excited about growing my skills in a supportive environment.”

2. How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive team environment?

This question explores the attitude and mindset that the candidate would bring to the company.

Sample Answers

• “I always aim to be an active listener during team discussions, so everyone feels heard and valued. I believe everyone has a unique perspective to contribute.”
• “I find ways to be supportive of my team members by providing positive feedback and recognition. I believe it’s valuable to highlight every win!”

3. What do you think should be a company’s role in the community, its environmental impact, or its ethical responsibilities?

This particular question is designed to reveal how the candidate values ethics and social responsibility. Do they expect more than you’re able to commit to? Or do they seem equally passionate to solve the problems you’re focused on solving?

Sample Answers:

• "A company should contribute to the community by investing in programs that support local businesses, education, or charitable organizations. Ethical responsibilities include adhering to equal employment opportunity laws and providing fair wages.”
• “I believe it’s a company’s ethical responsibility to mitigate their environmental impact by prioritizing eco-friendly and sustainable practices in the workplace. This could mean renewable energy use, waste reduction initiatives, and sustainable sourcing practices.”

4. Which of our core values resonate with you the most?

This question will help reveal how a candidate feels about company values in general, and whether or not they align with them.

Sample Answers

• “I resonate with the company value of teamwork, as I am someone who enjoys the benefits of collaborating with others. A successful team respects and values everyone’s diverse perspectives and opinions while coming together towards a common goal.”
• “I believe that open communication is important for fostering healthy conversations in the workplace. Being transparent around decisions, information, and goals builds trust within the organization and leads to a positive workplace.”

5. How do you define work-life balance?

Gauge the candidate’s perspective on maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life to ensure compatibility with the company’s definition of employee wellness.

Sample Answer

• “It’s my mission to give 100% at work, while establishing a firm boundary of leaving work at work so that I can focus on my family, friends, and hobbies. I aim to do this through effective time management and by setting healthy boundaries in order to avoid burnout and staying fully charged. I believe that enjoying activities beyond the workplace is essential in bringing the best version of myself to the job.”

More Great Culture Fit Interview Questions to Ask

Communication Style

6. How do you prefer to communicate with coworkers?
7. Do you prefer to work independently or as part of a team?
8. Describe a time where you successfully collaborated with your colleagues.

Values

9. What types of emotions do you display easily or struggle to express?
10. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Professional Goals and Development

12. How would this position contribute to your career goals?
13. What are the top three things you need to thrive in this role?
14. What are you currently doing for professional development?

Work-Life Balance and Stress Management

15. How do you cope with working under pressure?
16. How do you know when it’s time to ask for help?
17. What would your ideal work schedule look like?

Overcoming Challenges

15. Can you describe an obstacle you overcame at work?
16. Think of a time you made a mistake at work. How did you address it?
17. How would you handle a mistake made by a team member on a group project?

Motivation and Enthusiasm in the Workplace

15. What motivates you to come to work each day?
16. What aspects of this role are most appealing to you?
17. How do you expect this role to challenge you?

Teamwork and Collaboration

15. How much of a team player are you?
16. What’s your favorite or least favorite team-building activity?
17. Do you identify more as an extrovert or an introvert? Why?
18. What role do you usually play in team settings?

Leadership and Cooperation

15. What do you need from a manager to succeed?
16. What do you look for in a leader?
17. Tell me about someone you admire. What do you respect about them?

Personal Growth and Self-Awareness

15. In what areas do you think you can improve?
16. What are some personal goals you’ve achieved?
17. What’s been the most valuable lesson of your professional career?
18. What unique strengths would you bring to our organization?
19. What are your career goals for the next five years?

How Hiring with Culture Fit in Mind Can Help Your Workplace

A great company culture shapes the employee experience, which affects their beliefs and attitudes, ultimately influencing their actions and driving results. Assessing candidates for a good culture fit enhances your organization’s shared vision towards a common goal.

When you carefully select potential hires based on the criteria above, you’ll end up with employees who are excited to come to work everyday, which makes your workplace a better, happier, more productive place for everyone!