Building Teams That Thrive with Culture-First Hiring
When was the last time you heard someone on your team say, “I love where I work”?
While we hope that was recently, more often than not, it isn’t the case. Employee engagement in the US has dropped to an all-time low (Gallup, 2025), but there is a great opportunity for improvement with the right people-first strategies.
Chances are, the companies with the most engaged employees aren’t just offering competitive salaries or trendy wellness perks, but they’re building a culture where employees feel seen, valued, and aligned with the organization’s mission. That’s the foundation of culture-first hiring, an approach to recruitment that focuses on more than just resumes.
Culture-first hiring sets the tone for success by ensuring new employees share your company’s values. These new hires can integrate seamlessly into the team, fostering trust and collaboration from the start. By focusing on alignment from the outset, companies can minimize disruptions and maintain team morale, reducing turnover costs, which can be significant, when someone isn’t a good cultural fit. Prioritizing culture, and sharing it proudly, creates a magnetic employer brand that naturally attracts top talent who align with your vision. When people connect with your company’s mission, they’re not only more likely to join your organization, but also to stay and grow within it.
Implementing a culture-first hiring strategy requires intentionality at every stage of the recruitment process. Here’s what we recommend if you’re considering a culture-first hiring process:
Define your culture clearly and honestly: Start by thinking about what makes your organization unique. It may be helpful to form a taskforce of team members with various roles and levels of experience to understand beyond what you can personally see. Avoid vague phrases like “we value teamwork” and instead highlight specific behaviors, communication styles, and practices that reflect your company’s values. This clarity helps both your team and potential candidates understand what your workplace is truly about.
Incorporate culture into your job descriptions: Your job postings are the perfect place to share company culture with potential applicants, giving them a chance to decide if your workplace is a good fit before they apply. Showcase your values by describing what it’s like to work with your team. For instance, instead of saying “we’re a fast-paced company,” say, “Our team thrives on collaboration, adaptability, and bold ideas.” It might be helpful to think of describing your culture in a ‘show, don’t tell’ way, helping potential candidates really immerse themselves in your company culture right from the start.
Ask culture-first interview questions: Interviews are a great opportunity to uncover whether a candidate’s values align with your culture. Use open-ended questions that relate directly to the culture of your team, trying to get a feel for the environment, team structure, and work approach that the candidate prefers. Take some time to rethink your interview questions based on your company culture, designing them to determine alignment while providing insight into how candidates approach teamwork, challenges, and anything else that’s relevant to building a thriving team at your organization.
Don’t forget about onboarding: Hiring the right person is only the beginning. A strong onboarding process reinforces your culture and equips new hires to succeed in their roles. Share the values that embody your company’s mission and culture-first practices, and give new employees opportunities to connect with their teams from day one.
By taking these steps, you’ll not only attract the right talent but also set them up to thrive in your organization. But, remember, culture-first hiring is about building a team that helps your company grow and flourish, not just finding someone who is a good culture fit.
One of the biggest mistakes is prioritizing "culture fit" over diversity. Hiring people who align too closely with existing team dynamics can lead to groupthink, limiting innovation and stifling fresh ideas. Instead, focus on cultural alignment while valuing diverse perspectives that can drive creativity and growth.
Another potential trap is failing to balance culture with skills. While a candidate’s alignment with your values is essential, their ability to perform the job is equally critical. Striking this balance ensures that you’re not sacrificing competency for the sake of cultural fit.
If you’re not sure where your company culture stands today, start by tracking employee retention rates. Longer tenures often signal a stronger cultural fit. Begin measuring employee engagement levels through regular surveys that assess morale, job satisfaction, and alignment with company values. Keep track of employee referral rates, too, as employees who feel connected to your culture are more likely to recommend your company to their networks, boosting your employer brand. As you begin culture-first hiring, note changes you see in any of these areas, both in the short and long terms.
At its core, culture-first hiring is a commitment to building a workplace where people feel connected, valued, and motivated to succeed together. It’s about creating a team that thrives because their shared values and diverse perspectives lead to innovation, collaboration, and long-term growth.
Will your next hire love where they work? With a culture-first approach, the answer is yes.
