Interviewing for Cultural Fit

In a former job, I was a career coach. Career coaching can be a tough gig because your clients are very much at the whim of the economy: when jobs are scarce, clients get discouraged and it’s a long tough slog to find a suitable, meaningful job. When jobs are more plentiful, the clients hem and haw about whether this one is the “right” job for them and how they can negotiate a better salary? However, one thing remains constant across all economic cycles: interviews are two-way events.

When candidates get notification of an upcoming interview, there are several things they tend to worry about. They want to learn all that they can about the company to be able to speak knowledgeably about its vision, strategy and business. They want to brush up on any technical knowledge in order to come across as competent and valuable to the team and position; and, of course, ensure that they know what to wear for the interview so that they look and feel like a good fit for the company.