Joshua WeaverAbout 15 minutes.
The phrase ‘cultural fit’ has long been a staple in hiring conversations across industries, especially within marketing and advertising, but its meaning has evolved. Initially, 'cultural fit' was intended to align candidates with company values and ensure cohesion. However, as the concept developed, it has become a problematic practice that limits diversity, stifles innovation, and prevents companies from adapting and growing. This seemingly innocuous term has transformed into a tool that perpetuates exclusion, prevents true diversity, and reinforces the status quo.
Drawing on my years of multidisciplinary marketing and leadership experience, including my time at The Ad Council, The Trevor Project, and Vice Media, I’ve seen firsthand the negative impacts of hiring practices centered around cultural fit. These impacts include reduced team diversity, stifled creativity, and missed opportunities for innovation.
I recently participated in a panel discussion alongside industry leaders Keisha Townsend Tate and Lisa Balzer as part of the Do the Work Town Hall series. Together, we explored the pitfalls of "cultural fit," its impacts on marginalized communities, and the way forward for an industry that thrives on innovation and representation. This discussion was a powerful reminder of how far we still have to go to create inclusive environments where everyone can contribute and thrive.
What is Cultural Fit?
Cultural fit often describes how well a candidate aligns with a company's existing culture. At its core, it aims to ensure that new hires can integrate seamlessly into the work environment and contribute effectively. However, this concept has evolved into a gatekeeping mechanism prioritizing comfort and conformity over diversity and innovation.
While hiring individuals who align with a company's values might sound beneficial, it frequently translates into hiring people who look, think, and act like the existing team. This inherently limits the organization's diversity of thought and background, creating a homogenous culture that stifles creativity and growth.
The Perils of "Cultural Fit"
On the surface, cultural fit appears harmless, as many believe it creates cohesive workplaces by ensuring that new hires align with existing team dynamics and values. This initial appeal lies in the idea that cohesion leads to smoother working relationships and fewer conflicts. However, the very notion of "fit" often implies that there is a dominant culture that new hires must conform to to be successful. For those of us in marginalized communities—particularly LGBTQ+ individuals—the concept of cultural fit can serve as a reminder that we are often expected to fit into a mold that wasn't made for us.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how this plays out. Before joining the Ad Council, I worked at Vice Media, an environment that, for all its promise of creative freedom, often felt dominated by an ingrained boys' club culture. The pressure to "fit in" can be overwhelming, leading many of us to cover or hide intrinsic parts of ourselves to avoid standing out or being judged. 'Covering' refers to downplaying aspects of one's identity—such as gender expression, cultural background, or personal interests—to conform to perceived expectations and fit in with the dominant culture. Even something seemingly simple, including pronouns on a resume, can feel like a risk—a signal that we might not "fit" the existing culture.
This pressure to conform extends beyond personal experiences. During my time at The Trevor Project, we researched the importance of affirmation for LGBTQ+ youth—whether through using correct pronouns or simply creating spaces where they feel safe. The stakes are high: affirming environments lead to better mental health outcomes, while environments that demand conformity often lead to the opposite. When discussing cultural fit, we’re frequently about forcing individuals to suppress their true selves to fit into a rigid framework that may not even serve the company’s best interests.
Exclusion by Design: Systemic Impact on Marginalized Groups
The issue of cultural fit doesn’t just affect LGBTQ+ individuals—it’s a systemic problem that affects all marginalized communities. Keisha Townsend Tate, Chief Inclusion Officer at GSD&M, shared her insights into how cultural fit is a widespread exclusionary practice. When we hire for 'fit,' we often hire people like us who make us feel comfortable and do not challenge existing structures. This limits diversity stifles creativity, and prevents meaningful innovation, ultimately hindering the company's growth and adaptability. It’s a practice that inherently values conformity over creativity, which is ironic in an industry like ours that thrives on the power of new, disruptive ideas.
The impact of this is profound. It means agencies are predisposed to maintaining homogenous teams, which stifles innovation. We need a diversity of perspectives to create work that truly resonates with the audiences we’re trying to reach. The lack of this diversity is what often leads to tone-deaf campaigns that fail to connect with the very people we claim to want to serve.
Shifting the Paradigm: From Cultural Fit to Culture Add
Breaking the System: The Importance of "Culture Add" and Leadership
A central theme of our discussion was the need to shift from hiring for "cultural fit" to hiring for "culture add." Instead of asking, "Does this person fit in with our culture?" we should ask, "What unique perspectives and experiences does this person bring that will enrich our culture?" This seemingly small shift in perspective can profoundly impact the kinds of teams we build and the work we create.
Leadership plays a crucial role in making this shift happen. While leading teams at The Trevor Project and The Ad Council, I saw the difference that intentional leadership can make. At GSD&M, Keisha spoke about how leadership has prioritized inclusive policies and developed a hiring guide to ensure the process is as objective as possible. It’s about setting clear expectations and giving hiring managers the tools to evaluate candidates based on what they can add to the company rather than how well they "fit" into the existing culture.
Lisa Balzer, founder of New and Improved, emphasized that creating inclusive workplaces isn’t just about hiring—it’s also about the environment those hires enter. This means establishing policies that support diverse employees, creating mentorship opportunities, encouraging open dialogue about inclusion, and ensuring that leaders model inclusive behaviors daily. If we want people to be their authentic selves, we need to create spaces where they can do so without fear of retribution or exclusion. This requires active effort from leadership at all levels, from setting policies to modeling inclusive behaviors.
The Benefits of Culture Add
Hiring for culture adds a variety of benefits that go beyond simply improving diversity metrics. When teams are made up of individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, their work is more innovative and better reflects the needs of diverse audiences. This is especially important in advertising and marketing, where the goal is to connect with as many people as possible.
By embracing culture, companies can also improve employee satisfaction and retention. When people feel that their unique contributions are valued and that they can be their authentic selves at work, they are likelier to stay with the company and contribute to its success. This leads to a more engaged and motivated workforce, ultimately benefiting the organization.
Fear and Discomfort in the Workplace: How Do We Move Forward?
One of the most poignant parts of our conversation centered around the role of fear in maintaining the status quo. Fear of change, fear of challenging established norms, and fear of making mistakes all contribute to why 'cultural fit' continues to dominate hiring practices. These fears perpetuate outdated norms, even when they may not serve the company's best interests. For many LGBTQ+ individuals, the fear of not being seen as a "fit" means hiding critical aspects of who we are—a practice known as covering. Covering isn’t just emotionally exhausting; it prevents us from bringing our whole, creative selves to work.
Lisa spoke powerfully about the need to normalize discomfort in the workplace. Growth and change are inherently uncomfortable, and if we want to create truly inclusive environments, we need to accept that discomfort is part of the process. Initiatives like GSD&M’s "Elephant in the Room" series—which tackles uncomfortable but necessary conversations about everything from ageism to anti-Semitism—are a great example of how to make discomfort a part of company culture in a way that leads to growth rather than fear.
The Role of Empathy in Overcoming Fear
Empathy is crucial in overcoming the fear that often prevents us from making meaningful change. One way to foster empathy within teams is through shared storytelling sessions, where team members are encouraged to share their personal experiences and challenges. This practice can help build a deeper understanding of different perspectives and create more robust, supportive relationships within the team. By fostering empathy within our teams, we can create an environment where individuals feel understood and supported, even when they make mistakes. This is particularly important when it comes to addressing unconscious biases and learning how to be more inclusive.
During the panel, we discussed how empathy can help bridge the gap between different lived experiences. Drawing on my experience leading campaigns at The Trevor Project, I found that fostering a sense of empathy within my team led to more thoughtful and inclusive campaigns—campaigns that resonated more deeply with our audiences because they were built on genuine understanding and compassion.
Lessons from the LGBTQ+ Experience for All Marginalized Groups
While this discussion was rooted in LGBTQ+ experiences, the lessons extend to all marginalized communities. As Keisha pointed out, the shared experience across marginalized groups is one of exclusion and unequal access—whether based on race, gender, disability, or other factors. The solutions that work for one group often benefit others as well. For example, implementing flexible work policies for parents can also help employees with disabilities who may need similar accommodations. Creating a gender-neutral bathroom doesn’t just benefit nonbinary employees; it benefits everyone by making the workplace more inclusive.
Lisa also shared her perspective on the intersections of privilege and marginalization. Even within marginalized groups, there are varying levels of privilege that affect how we experience the workplace. Recognizing these intersections is crucial to understanding how exclusion operates and how we can address it effectively.
Intersectionality and Inclusion
Understanding intersectionality is vital to creating truly inclusive workplaces. Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, and sexual orientation, which can create overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. By considering the multiple facets of a person's identity, we can better understand their unique experiences and needs.
During our discussion, Keisha highlighted the importance of considering intersectionality in diversity and inclusion efforts. For example, a Black, nonbinary employee may face different challenges than a white, cisgender LGBTQ+ employee. Acknowledging these differences can create more targeted and effective strategies for fostering inclusion and belonging.
Building Inclusive Workspaces: Practical Steps Forward
So, how do we move forward? The panel offered several practical solutions for dismantling the idea of "cultural fit" and building truly inclusive workplaces:
Training at All Levels
Everyone needs training on implicit bias and diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, not just those in leadership. This training should be ongoing and evolve as the company grows and learns more about the needs of its employees. It's about ensuring everyone is equipped to recognize their biases and work actively to counteract them.
Creating Spaces for Conversation
Normalizing discomfort means creating spaces where difficult conversations can happen. GSD&M’s "Elephant in the Room" series is a great model for effectively doing this. Companies can foster a culture of openness and understanding by creating structured opportunities for employees to discuss challenging topics.
Leadership Accountability
Leaders must be held accountable for creating inclusive environments. This means hiring for diversity and fostering an environment where diverse voices are heard and valued. Leaders should set clear expectations for creating and maintaining a culture where employees feel they belong and can contribute authentically. When leadership actively champions inclusion, it sets the tone for the entire organization and paves the way for meaningful change.
Moving away from the outdated "cultural fit" concept requires courage, empathy, and a commitment to growth. By shifting towards "culture add," we can build more diverse, innovative, and productive workplaces. True success lies in embracing discomfort, fostering empathy, and valuing each individual’s unique contributions. Let us challenge ourselves to create environments where differences are celebrated, every voice is heard, and the culture is ever-evolving—defined not by conformity but by the richness of varied experiences and perspectives. This is how we can unlock our collective potential and drive meaningful change.
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