The hidden cost of ‘people like us’

I read this article earlier and it really got me thinking: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1920691/cultural-fit-employers-losing-prioritising-personality-skills

We’ve all done it at some point, hired someone because they “just felt right.” Cultural fit is definitely a real and valuable concept. A team that gels well can enjoy benefits that go far beyond bonding over a shared love of a Netflix series.

For me, the standout line was: "Too often, I see hiring managers confusing likability with potential and 'cultural fit' with 'people like us’". Hiring people we naturally click with can introduce bias and lead to bringing in individuals who may lack the necessary skills or experience.

But the bigger issue, in my view, is the risk of building overly homogeneous teams. Diverse teams aren’t just a nice-to-have or a box-ticking exercise, they consistently perform better over time. Groupthink, resistance to change, stagnation and complacency are all more common in teams that lack diversity in experience, personality and perspective. That’s the real danger of leaning too heavily on "cultural fit".

I’m not entirely sold on the article’s conclusion that the answer lies in more rigid interview processes. I actually value informal interviews and think there’s still a place for instinct in hiring. Instead, I’d encourage hiring managers to consciously consider the value of diverse thinking styles and backgrounds. That kind of plurality can often rival, if not surpass, the benefits of cultural fit.

#DiversityMatters #BeyondCulturalFit #TeamDiversity #BuildBetterTeams #LeadershipInsights #HiringWithPurpose #ThinkBeyondFit #ChallengeTheNorm #CultureVsCapability #DiverseThinking