The need for company culture has moved beyond the office cubicles, with coworkers fostering business relationships over phone calls, video calls, and messaging. With employees spending the better part of a week with each other, a group synergy beyond common experiences and skill sets is vital to an organization who grows and innovates.
As you look to make your next hire, consider asking one of the following interview questions to help determine if a candidate fits in with your company culture.
1. What does your ideal workplace look like?
Answers to this interview question can allow you to quickly assess a candidate's priorities. Are they a candidate looking for an office with windows or are they more interested in an open, collaborative environment? Are they excited about regular strategy meetings with neighboring teams, or are they focused on helping their singular production line be the best they can be?
The most important role this question plays is in allowing you to identify culture similarities. Sure, the office setting and the structure of the day may not match entirely, but if the culture this candidate is seeking is similar to the culture your company wants to emulate, they could be a great fit.
2. How would your past coworkers describe you?
Oftentimes candidates practice answering questions from their own point of view and not necessarily from their coworker's point of view. This question can allow a candidate to pause in an interview and consider their workplace performance from a different perspective. They might think back to a term that is most commonly used to describe them instead of a term they tend to use to describe themselves. Candidates may also recount a specific coworker interaction when answering this question, offering insight into their previous colleague interactions.
3. Can you describe a moment or project that you are particularly proud of?
What we pride ourselves on shares a lot about us. This question offers a lot of insight into what motivates a candidate and what success looks like to them as an individual. Whether the candidate takes this in a personal or professional direction, learning about what drives a candidate allows to do determine if your particular company culture is one they will find encouraging.
This question also helps to illustrate how the candidate works with a team. Are they someone who recognizes the mentors and teammates who helped them achieve this goal? Or are they an individual who is self-driven who sets internal goals and chases them on their own time?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a big change at work.
Whether it's turnover, an increase in production orders, or a company being acquired, companies are always changing. We implement new processes and procedures, we make a new hire, we even change production spaces and warehouses.
This scenario can help you evaluate how well a candidate communicates and solves problems as they look to tackle new challenges. Did they take on learning a new skill or piece of software to ease the transition process? Did they get resourceful when certain amenities were no longer available? Did they approach a sale from another direction after the prospect showed disinterest?
Prioritizing interview questions that highlight company culture can help to aid in team collaboration and foster an environment where creativity and adaptability are encouraged. As team members build each other up and work together efficiently, companies can boost productivity and performance rates while increasing employee morale.
Are you looking to add a few more interview questions to your hiring repertoire? Our Headquarters has created an eBook resource titled "Best Interview Questions to Ask Job Candidates" that is completely free to view.
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