In the first decade of the 21st century, the concept of \"Cultural Fitment\" began to gain momentum. CXOs generally started advocating this practice in their respective organizations, ensuring that it was followed in principle. This notion and the associated HR strategies were widely adopted.
The advocacy of this concept continues to date, although not as vigorous as before. HR professionals and \'experts\' were keenly recommending it at numerous events. Companies incorporated it in their basic HR structure, and most of us got swept away by this trend. As a young HR professional, I also fell prey to this sweeping notion without realizing its pitfalls. I started designing HR strategies based on this concept, and I even influenced one of my CEOs to the extent that he insisted on checking the cultural fitment of candidates during interviews and not their skills. The results were encouraging initially, as we were both looking at competencies and skills relevant to the organization.
Fast forward to a bright winter day in North India, I was reading a book on Genetics, and a chapter on \'Cross Breeding\' caught my attention. The chapter discussed the importance of diversity and mentioned the Gaussian Law. The law states that if a random sample is drawn from a heterogeneous population, it follows a normal distribution (Bell Curve) with two extreme ends on either side of the curve.
Suddenly, the concepts of Cross Breeding, Gaussian Law, and Cultural Fit crossed my mind, and I realized there was something missing in the application of the concept of Cultural Fitment that was silently undermining the organizational growth.
I dived into my home library to research these concepts, specifically Cultural Fit. I found information about \'Human\'s Despising Discomfort Behavior.\' This psychological phenomenon refers to the human brain\'s desire to stay in a state of comfort or peace. It means there is a strong aversion to situations that feel unpleasant, challenging, or outside one\'s comfort zone.
The concept of Cultural Fitment likely originated during a prolonged \'Period of Revolt,\' where managers and company owners were dealing with continuous worker unrest. They might have thought that hiring people with similar thinking would help neutralize the unrest. The idea born in the 20th century became a buzzword of the 21st century and permeated HR practices. Cultural Fitment became a key hiring criterion. However, this practice was undermining the long-term growth prospects of organizations.
The practice of Cultural Fit was often misinterpreted by the industry as \"fitting in with the manager\'s personal style or preferences.\" Managers started unconsciously associating culture fit with whether they personally \"liked\" the candidate or felt comfortable with their behavior. This approach led to hiring candidates who mirrored their teams, even if that had little to do with the company’s actual culture.
This practice fostered narcissistic tendencies in leaders, as they could build a culture that mirrored their worldview and rarely challenged their ideas. Creativity suffered the most due to this practice.
Scientific principles suggest that a diverse environment fosters creativity. The combination of diverse ideas and thoughts leads to innovation and invention. However, creativity comes with discomfort, and everyone has to prove their worth every day.
Cultural Fit can only foster creativity when hiring goes beyond matching the similarity of candidates to the manager\'s personal style or preferences, and when teams comprise people who do not think and act like their respective managers.
Rajesh Tripathi has developed the Competency Wheel Model – a copyrighted concept used by Prajjo for its AI-centric tool Competency Framework Creator. The tool helps organizations avoid the side effects of Culture Fit and keeps organizations aligned with their Values, Purposes, and Visions.
The ideal condition is when there is a right blend of heterogeneity with shared human values perfectly aligned with the organizational purpose; and Prajjo’s copyright tool CM Model to keep you on the path of success.
From India, Lucknow
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1The advocacy of this concept continues to date, although not as vigorous as before. HR professionals and \'experts\' were keenly recommending it at numerous events. Companies incorporated it in their basic HR structure, and most of us got swept away by this trend. As a young HR professional, I also fell prey to this sweeping notion without realizing its pitfalls. I started designing HR strategies based on this concept, and I even influenced one of my CEOs to the extent that he insisted on checking the cultural fitment of candidates during interviews and not their skills. The results were encouraging initially, as we were both looking at competencies and skills relevant to the organization.
Fast forward to a bright winter day in North India, I was reading a book on Genetics, and a chapter on \'Cross Breeding\' caught my attention. The chapter discussed the importance of diversity and mentioned the Gaussian Law. The law states that if a random sample is drawn from a heterogeneous population, it follows a normal distribution (Bell Curve) with two extreme ends on either side of the curve.
Suddenly, the concepts of Cross Breeding, Gaussian Law, and Cultural Fit crossed my mind, and I realized there was something missing in the application of the concept of Cultural Fitment that was silently undermining the organizational growth.
I dived into my home library to research these concepts, specifically Cultural Fit. I found information about \'Human\'s Despising Discomfort Behavior.\' This psychological phenomenon refers to the human brain\'s desire to stay in a state of comfort or peace. It means there is a strong aversion to situations that feel unpleasant, challenging, or outside one\'s comfort zone.
The concept of Cultural Fitment likely originated during a prolonged \'Period of Revolt,\' where managers and company owners were dealing with continuous worker unrest. They might have thought that hiring people with similar thinking would help neutralize the unrest. The idea born in the 20th century became a buzzword of the 21st century and permeated HR practices. Cultural Fitment became a key hiring criterion. However, this practice was undermining the long-term growth prospects of organizations.
The practice of Cultural Fit was often misinterpreted by the industry as \"fitting in with the manager\'s personal style or preferences.\" Managers started unconsciously associating culture fit with whether they personally \"liked\" the candidate or felt comfortable with their behavior. This approach led to hiring candidates who mirrored their teams, even if that had little to do with the company’s actual culture.
This practice fostered narcissistic tendencies in leaders, as they could build a culture that mirrored their worldview and rarely challenged their ideas. Creativity suffered the most due to this practice.
Scientific principles suggest that a diverse environment fosters creativity. The combination of diverse ideas and thoughts leads to innovation and invention. However, creativity comes with discomfort, and everyone has to prove their worth every day.
Cultural Fit can only foster creativity when hiring goes beyond matching the similarity of candidates to the manager\'s personal style or preferences, and when teams comprise people who do not think and act like their respective managers.
Rajesh Tripathi has developed the Competency Wheel Model – a copyrighted concept used by Prajjo for its AI-centric tool Competency Framework Creator. The tool helps organizations avoid the side effects of Culture Fit and keeps organizations aligned with their Values, Purposes, and Visions.
The ideal condition is when there is a right blend of heterogeneity with shared human values perfectly aligned with the organizational purpose; and Prajjo’s copyright tool CM Model to keep you on the path of success.
From India, Lucknow
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