I am ready to bring in our first outside corporate executive to join the leadership team, but I am terrified they will ruin our tight-knit, entrepreneurial culture. How do I vet them for cultural fit without losing sight of their capability?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is a common mistake to hire for resume alone and hope the culture works itself out. To protect your culture, you must run a strict, objective evaluation process using the EOS tools you already have.

Start with the GWC tool. Does this candidate truly Get, Want, and have the Capacity to do the job? Capacity includes their cognitive ability, their emotional intelligence, and their conative style.

To understand their conative style, have them take the Kolbe A Index during the interview process. If your current team consists of high Quick Start profiles who thrive on chaos and rapid change, bringing in a highly structured Follow Thru who insists on strict systems will create natural friction. This friction can be incredibly healthy if you prepare for it, but if you do not understand their natural way of taking action, you will mistake a difference in working style for a cultural mismatch.

Next, evaluate them against your core values using the People Analyzer tool. Every leader you interview must be a clear plus on all your core values. Do not compromise on this, regardless of how impressive their corporate pedigree is.

During the interview, ask for specific examples of how they have lived these values in past roles. If they cannot give you concrete examples, they are just telling you what you want to hear. A true leader will fit your culture while bringing the professional systems you need to scale.