So, assuming that you believe culture is an important part of how leadership fits within an organization, how do you define culture - and how do you assess candidates and their fit with the culture?
And another question is - how do you understand what your culture is?
I personally find one of the best ways is to use a Hogan Assessment that focuses on the values that individuals seek in an organization.
In short, determine someone’s values and determine to what extent the organizations provides opportunities for those values to be met.
It is important to learn what the Hogan assessment tries to measure. The following is a great description:
The Hogan Motives, Values Preferences Inventory (MVPI) reveals a person's intrinsic values that motivate decisions, as well as interests. This makes the MVPI an invaluable tool for establishing the kind of team, department and corporate culture in which the person will perform best. This benefits the person in ensuring they are choosing the right environment in which to work, and it benefits organizations by helping them to ensure that a new employee's values are in-line with those of the organization. It also enables both person and organization to predict job satisfaction.
The MVPI is developed from 80 years of academic research on motivation. It contains 10 scales to measure motives based upon a comprehensive business-based system of values. Values, preferences, and interests are all motivational elements: values are the most broad and abstract motive, and interests are the most narrow and specific kind of motive.
The MVPI 10 scales establish what people want, rather than how they typically behave, and are measured across the following:
1. Recognition - responsive to attention, approval, and praise
2. Power - desire for success, accomplishment, status and control
3. Hedonism - orientation for fun, pleasure, and enjoyment
4. Altruistic - desire to help others and contribute to society
5. Affiliation - desire for and enjoyment of social interaction
6. Tradition - dedication, strong personal beliefs, and obligation
7. Security - need for predictability, structure, and order
8. Commerce - interest in money, profits, investment, and business opportunities
9. Aesthetics - need for self-expression, concern over look, feel, and design of work products
10. Science - quest for knowledge, research, technology, and data
Found on public domain site:
http://www.articleblast.com/Business_and_Management/Management/The_Hogan_Motives,
_Values_Preferences_Inventory_(MVPI)_Explained/
See also: www.hoganassessments.com
So, to start with a simple explanation –
If a candidate places a high emphasis on being recognized and acknowledged for his/her work, within what type of working / corporate culture would he/she best fit?
Obvious answer: a culture with ample rewards and recognitions and celebrations for accomplishments and successes; an organization that has lots of programs such as Employee of the Month, special parking places for exemplary employees, and annual awards programs and banquets.
The Hogan Motives, Values, and Preferences Inventory can be used to set forth a description of an organization culture.
Ideally, when hiring, it is best to use an instrument like the MVPI to discern candidate motivations and values. If this is not possible, interviews can possible capture this information if developed in a sophisticated enough manner.