Cultural fit is becoming an increasingly important hiring metric for companies from Fortune 500 giants to small-scale startups. More companies are making their hiring decisions the same way we choose close friends or romantic partners, according to a quote by Northwestern professor Lauren Rivera in a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek.

One of the reasons is because many companies see candidates who fit into the company culture as a safer bet when it comes to retention. Since a bad hire can sometimes set a company back as much as $50,000, it makes sense that companies are concerned with hiring the right person the first time out.

Using online video to screen candidates is a smart move when it comes to finding job seekers who will fit into your company culture without wasting a lot of time in the hiring process. Here are some good ways to find your Cinderella candidate, the one who fits perfectly in your open position:

Know the job

Making sure a candidate fits the job first is one of the best methods to ensure they will fit into the organization. Different skill sets are required for various jobs.

For instance, the position can require a candidate to have strong communication skills and teamwork abilities. Alternately, perhaps it requires a self-starter who can work alone and take the initiative. If you really need a lone wolf role, don’t recruit a social butterfly just because they’re a wonderful person. Make sure the applicant meets the requirements of the position before assessing their cultural fit with the firm as a whole.

Ask about their company culture wishlist

In the video interview, whether it’s a one-way video interview or a live video interview, it’s important to find out about your candidate’s ideal company culture. You could ask about the worst company culture they’ve experienced or just ask what would be on their company culture wishlist. Then watch their body language as they respond to the question.

In a one-way video interview, the applicant responds to your written questions while being filmed, thus there isn’t the same feedback loop as in a conventional interview. Try to maintain a neutral look during a live video interview because your nonverbal cues may be giving them unintentional hints.

You may learn a lot about whether or not they would fit well into your corporate culture based on their responses to these questions. Are they seeking an environment with more rules and order or one that is chaotic and creative? To make sure you’re getting honest responses from the candidate and not just what they think you want to hear, be sure to ask these questions before letting them know about the organizational structure of the company.

Keep them on their toes

Because it takes candidates off their internal interview script, many organizations are embracing the curveball question throughout the interview process. A clever inquiry with an unexpected twist can stun a candidate enough to potentially expose some new aspects. They’re also useful for evaluating a candidate’s flexibility and capacity for problem-solving.

Use these off-the-wall inquiries to see whether the applicant will fit with your company’s culture. Even the most absurd inquiries, such as “what kind of animal would you be,” include crucial cultural fit elements. Look for candidates who can respond to even the strangest hypothetical questions by demonstrating qualities and abilities relevant to the position. These people can think on their feet and are likely to easily fit into your company culture.

Look for diversity

One of the drawbacks to hiring for cultural fit can be the tendency to hire people exactly like yourself. Instead of a diverse office with many different viewpoints, you’ll instead end up with a hive mind of people who think the same. This is no way to move your company forward or find your next great idea!

Look for applicants in the video interview who can offer something fresh. The same employees who are able to think quickly on their feet when a crisis comes will be job candidates that provide highly fascinating and unique solutions to queries. You want creative thinkers and risk takers, not a room full of drones. Therefore, take advantage of video displays as a chance to diversify the perspectives and skill sets in your business culture.

Finding a candidate to fit into your company culture can be the best way to ensure your new employee will be motivated and stick around for the long haul. Using video interviews, you can pose the tough questions and find out more about your candidate, so you don’t waste time speaking to people who just don’t fit.

How do you use Video Screening?

What are some ways you use video screens to find candidates who fit into the company culture? Share in the comments!