Recently while I was interviewing, I heard a number of companies talk about “company fit”. I just wanted to reflect on what this means and the best way to respond when asked if you would “fit into the company culture”.

As a developer, I have worked with a variety of personality types. One of the most enjoyable experiences I had was at company where few of us would have passed a standard “company fit” profile.

However, I think we were all “fit the company”. It was the fact that we were NOT all the same that allowed us to excel the most. We could work to our individual strengths, rather than a single linear vision.

While we did not always agree, discussions and/or arguments allowed us to formulate better solutions than we could possibly have achieved without them.

So the next time someone talks about the company culture, how they need someone who will “fit their company”, talk about how you can add to the company culture rather than conforming to it.

After all, you can only really learn when you are challenged.