Cultural fit is a thing

I’ve been leading nonprofit CEO searches for a few millennia now, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that culture matters.

I’m sure the same is true for any kind of search for any kind of organization and for any type of position.

When I talk about cultural fit, I don't mean hiring people who look alike, think alike, or come from similar backgrounds. I mean understanding whether a candidate's values and leadership approach align with the organization's way of working and thinking. There is no right or wrong culture. The organization gets to define it however it wants to.

What I find time and again is this: You can work with the staff and board to agree on the qualifications and qualities that everyone wants to have in a new exec. In fact, you have to have those knotty discussions to do a successful search. But as a search consultant, I’ve also learned that matching the style of person to the culture of the organization is essential.

The best way to explain it is by relating a few examples.

Years ago, I worked with an organization that was extremely committed to demonstrating DEI principles in every corner of its work. They had a handbook of language that staff had trained on with words they agreed they would not use such as “spearhead” and “mastery”. 

I explained this to each candidate as a way of bringing that culture to life. Yet one finalist chose to withdraw after the leadership team introduced themselves with their pronouns, concluding it wasn’t the right fit. 

In another instance, a board interviewed and rejected a series of candidates who had outstanding related experience and excellent references. Why? Because the previous hire with similar experience had been a bad cultural fit because she was seen as being overly technocratic. Instead, they chose someone with strong nonprofit leadership chops who had less direct experience but was deeply committed to the work. Her compassionate outlook fit their values-based culture.

The lesson from both examples is the same: organizations hire for skills, but they often choose among finalists based on culture. The good news is that culture is usually visible if you know where to look.

So, if you are a candidate, how do you get inside the culture tent before you apply?

First, take a look at the board. Do most of the members have lived experience or other experience that is directly mission-related? Are they primarily business professionals? Are they homogeneous or fully diverse? The composition of the board will provide clues as to how they think and operate.

Second, look at the organization’s social media posts. What kind of language do they use? What kind of statements do they make around holidays? What kind of fundraising events do they host? The way an organization celebrates itself says a lot about its culture. 

Finally, if possible, use your connections to connect with someone who is intimately familiar with the work of that nonprofit. Having access to an insider perspective is one of the best ways to determine if the organization is the right fit for you.

Culture won't tell you whether you or someone else can do the job, but it often determines whether someone will thrive once they get there.

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Pat Libby is a change management consultant working principally with nonprofit corporations. She is author of The Empowered Citizens Guide: 10 Steps to Passing a Law that Matters to You, Oxford University Press, The Lobbying Strategy Handbook, second edition, Oxford University Press, and Cases in Nonprofit Management, Second Edition, Cognella. She has served as an academic, senior executive, board member, and consultant to innumerable nonprofit organizations and foundations for more than three decades.

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