How "Cultural Fit" Is Killing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

“Cultural fit.” You’ve heard it before, maybe even used it yourself. It’s the line that gets thrown around in interviews, in hiring decisions, in those private conversations behind closed doors: “Are they a good fit for our culture?” On the surface, it sounds innocent, even sensible. After all, who doesn’t want to work somewhere they feel they belong, where people think alike, share the same values, and have that ineffable connection?

But here’s the harsh reality: cultural fit is often just code. Code for “do they look like us, act like us, think like us?” Code for homogeneity and for sameness. Believe it or not, it is considered a derogatory term in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). And when cultural fit becomes the litmus test for hiring, you can kiss Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goodbye. Because the more we lean on this idea of “fit,” the more we filter out voices that don’t sound like our own, perspectives that might challenge us, and identities that might make us look in the mirror and question what we see.

The Myth of Cultural Fit

Cultural fit didn’t always have this connotation. Originally, it was meant to ensure that new hires would thrive, that they’d feel at home and perform well in a company’s environment. But somewhere along the line, cultural fit became less about belonging and more about comfort. It started to mean hiring people who blend in, who don’t ruffle feathers, who fit the mold.

Now, companies use it to create teams that look more like cliques. “Fit” becomes a convenient filter to reject people who don’t fit an unspoken mold—whether that’s based on race, gender, age, or personality. And here’s where it gets really toxic: when cultural fit trumps skill, passion, or potential, what you’re left with is a room full of people who see the world in the same way, who approach problems the same way, who don’t challenge each other, and who, frankly, can’t grow.

This isn’t just a diversity issue; it’s a creativity killer. When everyone in the room thinks alike, your company isn’t going to innovate—it’s going to stagnate. And if you’re serious about DEI, cultural fit needs to be the first thing you question.

How Cultural Fit Undermines DEI

So, let’s break down exactly how cultural fit works against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

1. A Barrier to Diverse Perspectives: When companies focus on hiring for cultural fit, they’re usually hiring people who share similar backgrounds, experiences, and worldviews. Diversity isn’t just about checking boxes; it’s about bringing different perspectives to the table. It’s about someone from a different culture, background, or experience challenging the norm and bringing fresh eyes to old problems. But if “fit” means hiring more of the same, then you’re shutting out those different perspectives before they even get a chance.
2. Reinforces Unconscious Bias: Cultural fit is often a smokescreen for unconscious bias. Managers gravitate toward candidates who remind them of themselves, who share similar interests or attitudes. It’s not necessarily malicious; it’s human nature. But when hiring decisions are based on familiarity rather than skill or potential, it’s easy to exclude people who come from different racial, socioeconomic, or educational backgrounds. DEI can’t thrive in an environment that prioritizes comfort over challenge.
3. Creates a False Sense of Inclusion: Companies love to pat themselves on the back for having “inclusive cultures,” but if that inclusion is conditional—based on how well you fit into a pre-existing mold—it’s not real inclusion. Real inclusion doesn’t ask people to change themselves to fit in; it makes space for them to be themselves. When “fit” becomes the requirement, people who don’t conform find themselves sidelined, undervalued, or, worse, excluded altogether.
4. Limits Personal and Organizational Growth: When you’re constantly hiring people who fit the same cultural profile, you’re not just limiting diversity—you’re limiting growth. Diversity of thought, experience, and perspective pushes people out of their comfort zones, challenges assumptions, and sparks innovation. It’s what keeps companies evolving. But if every new hire is just another piece of the same puzzle, then nothing ever changes. And in a world that’s constantly shifting, companies that don’t evolve die.

Moving Beyond Cultural Fit to “Cultural Add”

It’s time to let go of cultural fit and embrace a new concept: cultural add. Instead of asking, “Do they fit in?” we should be asking, “What new perspective can they bring? How will they challenge us? How will they make us better?”

Cultural add focuses on what someone can contribute that’s different from the status quo. It’s about seeing diversity as a strength, not something to smooth over. It’s about understanding that different voices are valuable because they don’t fit neatly into a pre-existing culture. They push it forward. They force us to re-evaluate, to grow, to become better.

So, how do we make the shift?

1. Rethink the Interview Process: Start by reevaluating your interview questions and practices. If your interviews are structured to find people who “click” with the existing team, you’re doing it wrong. Instead, create questions that assess how a candidate will contribute to the team in new ways, how they handle different viewpoints, and how they approach challenges.
2. Value Potential Over “Fit”: Hire people for their skills, their ideas, and their potential to bring something new to the table. Stop focusing on whether they’ll seamlessly blend into the existing team. Value growth over comfort, challenge over consensus.
3. Measure for Cultural Contribution: Shift your focus from fit to contribution. Ask, “How will this person’s unique experiences, skills, or perspectives benefit our organization?” Make cultural add a core hiring value and ensure that your interview panels are trained to evaluate it.
4. Hold Leaders Accountable: DEI initiatives aren’t just a hiring exercise; they’re a leadership responsibility. Leaders should model the behavior they want to see in the organization, challenging their own biases and holding their teams accountable for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Make sure leaders understand that diversity isn’t just about numbers—it’s about fostering an environment where different perspectives thrive.

Conclusion: A Culture Worth Building

Cultural fit is comfortable, safe, easy. But real progress? That’s messy, challenging, uncomfortable. It’s asking hard questions, making tough calls, and valuing people not for how well they blend in but for how boldly they stand out. DEI isn’t about making people fit into a box; it’s about breaking down the box entirely, reshaping it with every new person who comes on board.

If we want companies that truly embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, we need to ditch cultural fit. We need to build cultures that welcome cultural add, that seek out people who will bring something different, something challenging, something that doesn’t quite “fit.” Because the truth is, if you’re building a company where everyone fits neatly, you’re building a company where nothing new will ever happen.

So, let’s stop hiding behind “fit” and start embracing what makes each person unique. Let’s demand workplaces where diversity isn’t just a checkbox but the fuel that keeps us moving forward. In the end, that’s not just a better workplace—that’s a place worth showing up for every day.