Hiring your own clone? Why the culture fit trap blocks growth – and how diversity drives it forward.

“We’re looking for someone who fits our culture.”

Sounds familiar? It’s one of the most common phrases in recruitment processes. But do we really know what it means?

In many companies, culture fit has become a mantra. Leaders, HR, hiring briefs all talk about it. But if you dig deeper, often what hides behind this phrase is something quite different: a need for comfort, predictability, and confirmation of one’s own decisions.

Do we even know what our culture really is?

Let’s start at the foundation. Culture fit only makes sense if we know what someone is supposed to “fit” into. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Research by Prof. Lauren Rivera (“Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs”) shows that:

• 82% of managers say that culture fit is a key hiring criterion,
• but only 50% can actually describe their organization’s culture,
• and just 33% have any tools to measure it in practice.

The result? Culture fit becomes a vague, slippery concept – often used intuitively, sometimes just conveniently.

When “fit” means: “I feel comfortable”

In practice, fit often simply means: “This candidate won’t surprise me.” Similar opinions, similar educational paths, similar communication styles. In other words – we hire a different version of ourselves.

This is called mirror hiring – when managers pick people they feel comfortable around, even if those people aren’t the most valuable for the team or organizational challenges.

Such teams may be tight-knit. But they also tend to be:

• low in diversity,
• predictable,
• prone to groupthink,
• and often unprepared for change.

Fit or comfort?

It’s worth asking an uncomfortable question:
Are we really looking for skills – or just confirmation of our own prior choices?

Because if culture fit means “doesn’t question the manager’s decisions, thinks like me, operates by familiar patterns,” you’re not building a valuable team. You’re building a comfort zone.

“Doesn’t fit” – but what does that really mean?

Stopping at “doesn’t fit” without specifics is a red flag in decision-making. If we can’t point to particular competencies, behaviors, or values conflicting with the company culture, maybe the candidate isn’t the problem – maybe our evaluation method is unclear.

That’s why it’s worth:

• translating company values into observable behaviors and competencies,
• building scorecards based on attitudes, not just experience,
• asking: does this person bring something new that complements our team?

Culture add: a tougher but better direction

In times of technological change, generational shifts, and redefined teamwork, hiring only people who “fit the current culture” is like planning strategy based on yesterday’s data.

Instead of culture fit, today we need culture add – people who think differently, ask tough questions, share core values but not necessarily the same methods.

They won’t always be comfortable. But they are the source of innovation, adaptability, and growth.

Diversity is not a campaign. It’s a strategic capability

Real diversity isn’t about checklists in ESG reports. It means having people in your organization who think, work, and solve problems differently than you do.

Teams with high cognitive diversity:

• make better decisions faster (Harvard Business Review),
• are more resilient to crises (McKinsey),
• generate higher employee engagement and loyalty.

But for this to work, diversity must be consciously invited – not just tolerated as long as it “doesn’t stir trouble.”

Recruiters’ role: not gatekeepers, but partners in change

Recruiters and HR play  a tough but critical role today. They’re not mere intermediaries. They’re business partners – with the right (or maybe the duty) to say “no” to managers sometimes.

They:

• ask questions no one else dares to: does the candidate really not fit – or do you just feel (somewhat) uncomfortable?
• create tools that make processes more objective (culture fit form, values assessments, behavioral questions, shared scorecards).
• ensure hiring doesn’t become just a similarity check.

Hiring is not filtering. It’s choosing a direction

Choosing a candidate is an act of courage. Every hiring decision is:

• a strategy for the future,
• a statement about who we are as an organization,
• and often a character test for the leader.

So before you reject someone who “stands out a bit,” ask yourself the following:
Is this really a lack of fit – or a vital chance for change you’re afraid of?

To wrap up

If this text resonates with your experience – whether you’re a leader, an HR pro, or a recruiter – let me know. Maybe it’s time to stop hunting for people who fit and start inviting those who will help us grow.

Because, surprisingly, sometimes the most valuable candidate is the one who at first glance… just doesn’t fit (right).

Big thanks to my amazing peer Ola from Kursy języka angielskiego online – ATL English by Aleksandra Ammer for her support and proofreading!