If you’ve ever made a cake you know that an ingredient, no matter the kind, changes the end result.

A hint of lime adds an element of tart.

More flour results in a dense and thick dough.

And chocolate makes everything better.

The same goes for culture (yes, especially chocolate).

A culture, simply put, is how people inside the organization interact with each other.

It’s not what’s written on your website.

And it’s definitely not what you hear touted by leadership.

It’s what people do on a day-to-day basis.

So, when you add another personality to your team (or culture cake) the culture changes.

They won’t fit into your culture, they’ll change it.

The question is if the changes is for the better, or worse.

Is your team becoming more honest, collaborative, driven, etc. than before this person joined?

The next time you’re evaluating a candidate, don’t consider if this person is a good culture fit, ask “How is this person going to change the culture?” And, “Does that contribute to the culture I want?”

Photo by Antonio Janeski on Unsplash.