Culture fitting means hiring someone who fits within the organizational culture of the company. These days, it has become a critical factor in the hiring process since studies have shown employees who fit the company culture increase employee engagement and add value as individual contributors as well as team players.
Many companies, including some in the material handling industry, believe that culture fit is more important than skills because the right skills, while preferred, can be taught. However, it’s very difficult, if not impossible, to teach someone to fit into your corporate culture.
While standard methods used to measure culture fit still apply, including performance-based interviews, fit testing and social media networks, some organizations have gotten quite creative and are using unconventional methods to assess a job candidate’s cultural suitability.
One global manufacturer of material handling equipment requires job candidates to spend hours answering questions from a dozen employees about their past work experience, interests, social media presence, activities outside of work, etc. Since half of U.S. workers spend more time with co-workers than with their families, this company wants to make sure they’re spending time with people they like.
According to the Wall Street Journal, G Adventures Inc., an adventure travel company, asks candidates to climb into a two-foot plastic ball pit, similar to those at Chuck E. Cheese, in order to join some team members of G Adventures in tossing the balls around. In addition, they may be asked to do something out of the ordinary while in the pit, like demonstrating the latest dance moves.
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Material Handling & Logistics is an IndustryWeek companion site within Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group.
