You can’t measure culture on a resume, but you can assess it with intention.

1. Get Clear on Your Culture, and Be Honest

Before you can evaluate cultural fit, you need to define what your company culture is.

Start with this framework:

• Decision-making – Is your organisation collaborative or top-down?
• Work pace – Fast, reactive and deadline-driven, or calm, structured and steady?
• Communication style – Formal and professional, or informal and relaxed?
• Team dynamics – Do people work independently or cross-functionally?
• Leadership style – Is management hands-on or hands-off?
• Values in action – What behaviours get rewarded? What gets challenged?

You can also gather feedback:

• Run a quick internal survey with team members – if you can make it anonymous you’ll get more honest responses
• Ask: “What three words best describe our workplace?”
• Observe how people interact during meetings, feedback sessions and tough weeks

Takeaway – Write a short culture statement and include it in your job ad. Make sure this resonates with the rest of your team and isn’t just an aspiration statement. Candidates can’t align with what they can’t see.

2. Use Behavioural Interview Questions

Generic questions won’t reveal much. You need to explore how a candidate has worked in real environments.

Ask:

• “Tell me about a team you loved working with – what made it work for you?”
• “Describe a time when a workplace wasn’t the right fit. What did you learn?”
• “How do you prefer to communicate when working on a project?”
• “What motivates you to do your best work?”

Takeaway – Build 3-4 core questions around your most important cultural traits and ask them consistently across interviews.

3. Involve the Team

Hiring isn’t just a leadership decision, it’s a team dynamic decision.

Invite one or two future colleagues into the interview or casual meet-and-greet. You’ll learn:

• How candidates interact in a more natural setting
• Whether their energy complements the group
• If there are shared values or working styles

Takeaway – Ask team members for feedback using prompts like: “Would you enjoy working alongside this person?”

4. Look for Clues Beyond the Interview

Often, how a candidate interacts outside of the structured questions is even more telling.

Watch for:

• How they communicate over email
• Their punctuality and professionalism
• How they ask questions during the process
• If they’ve done any research into your values or culture

Takeaway – Create a checklist of soft-signal indicators to review after the interview process.

Fit Doesn’t Mean “The Same”

Hiring for cultural fit doesn’t mean hiring people who act and think like your existing team.

In fact, that’s a fast track to groupthink and missed innovation.

Instead, look for values alignment – shared goals, work ethics and collaboration styles – while still welcoming diversity of background and perspective.

Takeaway – Ask: “Can this person challenge us in a good way, while still aligning with how we work?”

The Long-Term Benefits of Cultural Fit

Getting it right means:

• Lower turnover
• Faster onboarding
• Better performance
• Stronger engagement
• Happier teams

Takeaway – A great cultural fit doesn’t just fill a seat. It strengthens the entire business.

Want Help Finding the Right Fit?

That’s where TalentVine can help. We match employers with specialist recruiters who understand your business, your industry and your culture – not just your job title.

Ready to hire someone who fits the role and the room?

Find your perfect recruiter now at TalentVine.