Columnists

Peter Smith: The Importance of Culture in Hiring

ColumnistsMar 18, 2025

Peter Smith: The Importance of Culture in Hiring

Smith explores why a qualified candidate might still not be right for the job.

National Jeweler columnist Peter Smith
Peter Smith is an industry consultant, speaker, sales trainer, and author. He can be reached via email at TheRetailSmiths@gmail.com.
Is it my imagination or are we getting important hiring decisions wrong with greater frequency than ever before?

Just in the past few days, I’ve heard of a handful of people leaving positions after very short periods.

This includes employees who relocated for their new roles and within weeks or months were gone, leaving a trail of disappointment, dejection, and wasted financial resources.

Why is that? Why are so many companies getting it so wrong?

Or, are the candidates getting it wrong?

Bob Corlett, the founder and president of Staffing Advisors, wrote in the Washington Business Journal, “Most people are hired for skills but fired for ‘fit.’ People who don’t ‘fit in’ don’t last long in most organizations.” 

If we assume that those candidates were appropriately vetted, their backgrounds checked, and their suitability for the positions satisfied, then the disconnect between performance and expectation, as evidenced by the hasty departures, clearly points to a problem.

Nobody wants to start a new job and find out in short order that they’ve made a mistake. 

No employer wants to undertake the oftentimes stressful and time-consuming process of interviewing people, salary negotiations, potential relocations, and the deployment of resources for onboarding to have to unwind so quickly. 

So, why does that continue to happen and what can we do about it? 

Culture has sometimes been described as the water in which a fish swims. He doesn’t know it’s water, he has no frame of reference, and he couldn’t describe it to you even if you spoke fish and asked him (don’t spend too much time thinking about what fish sounds like; it’s a secret language). 

If we take the fish and water metaphor to its next logical step, consider what happens when a fish is removed from water. 

That image of a fish fighting for survival is not unlike the feeling one has when they find themselves in a culture that is fundamentally misaligned with who they are. 

That awful realization that this is a mistake can be felt from the employee and the employer, and it can happen very fast. 

The resolution can sometimes be dragged out as all sides try to find a solution, but it more often ends in separation because cultural misalignment is almost impossible to reconcile. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

Organizational culture (whether it is by design or default) rarely, if ever, adapts to a new hire; it has to be the other way around.

There are exceptions, of course. A strong new leader can change the culture of an organization if they have a mandate to do so, and the necessary time and resources to make it happen. 

Culture-fit is an intangible, but it has very tangible consequences when we get it wrong. 

The candidate can have the requisite experience, the right traits and intellect, great work ethic, and a willing and excited employer ready to engage them, and yet we still get things wrong, even with the most important hires. 

So why do we continue to make these mistakes despite the heavy cost to business, customers, and the existing teams?

In short, we continue to make hiring mistakes because we vastly underestimate the importance of culture fit.

In “Unleash Your Primal Brain,” author Tim Ash wrote, “If someone is not in accord with the behaviors and beliefs of the group, they are, by definition, a poor team member. Severe social sanctions will often fall on such people. They will either be forced to conform or removed from the group.”

That does not make them bad people. They could be great people but just not right for your group.

In condensing a solution to its most basic level, I would suggest that we document those behaviors and beliefs and then build a small portfolio of questions to be included in your interviewing process. (You do have a structured interview process, yes? Phew! Can you imagine not having one!)

Use the culture questions to fully explore the things the candidate holds dear and the things that matter most to the organization. Do they align? Are there significant disconnects?

Putting those questions together and adding them to the interview process is a critical exercise in helping the hiring manager, and the candidate, to better explore the things that could derail a relationship that otherwise checked all the boxes on talent, work ethic, experience, etc.

Some of the things that culture questions can reveal is a candidate who does not respond well to being micro-managed in an organization that is all about that.

A candidate who is excited about innovation and change in an organization that is resistant to change.

A candidate with aspirations to grow in a family business where the senior team are all related and not going anywhere.

A candidate who is most comfortable working at a deliberate pace in a company that operates at warp speed, or vice versa.

A candidate who needs a months-long ramp-up and all sorts of handholding in an organization that needs you to hit the ground running with the minimum amount of help.

There are literally dozens of reasons why someone might not work out. Sometimes it is as insidious as an incumbent employee in the organization who casts a large and destructive shadow and who the company isn’t willing to address.

In “For The Culture,” author Marcus Collins wrote, “People are looking to be a part of something just as much as you are looking for people to join you. You just have to find the right congregational fit.” 

Amen to that!

The Latest

Kraft Mac & Cheese x Ring Concierge Forever Macaroni Necklace
TrendsMay 02, 2025
Ring Concierge, Kraft Partner on Mother’s Day Macaroni Necklace

The childhood craft of making dried pasta necklaces for Mother’s Day is all grown up as the 14-karat gold “Forever Macaroni” necklace.

Angely Martinez emerald Promise ring
CollectionsMay 02, 2025
Piece of the Week: Angely Martinez’s Emerald Promise Ring

Set with May’s birthstone and featuring an earthworm, this ring is a perfect celebration of spring.

Stuller 2025-2026 bridal catalog
MajorsMay 02, 2025
Stuller’s New Bridal Catalog Is Here

“Bridal 2025–2026” includes popular styles and a dedicated section for quick pricing references of lab-grown diamond bridal jewelry.

Supplier Spotlight -Recorded-Webinar.png
Brought to you by
Watch: The Winston Red: GIA Examines the Smithsonian’s Newest Addition

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

Americut Gems
SourcingMay 01, 2025
Tariffs & Colored Gemstones: Relying on Stock, Considering the Ripple Effect

Though currently paused, high tariffs threaten many countries where gemstones are mined. Dealers are taking measures now to prepare.

Weekly QuizMay 01, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Exterior of new David Yurman store in the Miami Design District
MajorsMay 01, 2025
Peek Inside David Yurman’s New Miami Flagship Store

Located in Miami’s Design District, the 4,000-square-foot store is an homage to David and Sybil Yurman’s artistic roots.

Oscar Heyman emerald and diamond necklace
TrendsMay 01, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: 20 Pieces of Emerald Jewelry for May

May babies are lucky indeed, born in a month awash with fresh colors and celebrated with one of the most coveted colored gemstones.

ejap cohort 1872x1052.png
Brought to you by
Emerging Jewelers Accelerator Program Announces Second Cohort of Aspiring Jewelry Entrepreneurs

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

Jewelers of America logo
MajorsMay 01, 2025
Jewelers of America Opens Applications for 2025 Scholarships

The deadline to apply for the Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship is June 12.

Stock image of an empty clothing store
SurveysApr 30, 2025
Consumer Confidence Hits Pandemic-Level Low Amid Tariff Concerns

What’s really worrying U.S. consumers isn’t the present situation; it’s what the economy is going to look like six months from now.

2025 Instore Jewelry Show Graphic
Events & AwardsApr 30, 2025
Instore Show Debuts New Name, Look, and Focus

Now called The Instore Jewelry Show, it will include holiday-focused education, interactive workshops, and a window display contest.

GemWorld GemGuide logo
SourcingApr 30, 2025
GemGuide Has a New Pricing Chart for Colombian Emeralds

It includes pricing for unenhanced Colombian emeralds in the fine to extra fine range.

Tiffany & Co. Sea Turtle Ring
CollectionsApr 30, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Goes Deep-Sea Diving in New Blue Book

The “Sea of Wonder” collection features pieces inspired by the ocean, from its waves to flora and creatures like urchins and sea turtles.

Golconda Blue
AuctionsApr 29, 2025
‘Golconda Blue’ Diamond Pulled From Auction

The 23-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, set to headline Christie’s May jewelry auction, was expected to sell for as much as $50 million.

G.B. Heron Jewelers sign
IndependentsApr 29, 2025
Maryland Jeweler to Close After 36 Years

G.B. Heron Jewelers in Salisbury, Maryland, is set to close as its owner, Jeff Cassels, retires.

Gemfields rough rubies
SourcingApr 29, 2025
Gemfields Mini Ruby Auction Achieves $7M

The miner said its April sale featured a mix of commercial-quality primary rubies and secondary rubies of varying quality.

Counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry
CrimeApr 28, 2025
Customs Seizes Nearly 2,000 Pieces of Counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry

U.S. customs agents in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the package, which would have been worth $9 million if the jewelry was genuine.

Suzanne Kalan Tech Ring Jacket Collection
TrendsApr 28, 2025
Suzanne Kalan Launches Tech Ring Jacket Collection

Health monitors become statement pieces when paired with the brand’s new collection of stackable diamond-studded bands.

JCK Industry Fund
Events & AwardsApr 28, 2025
JCK Industry Fund Announces 2025 Grant Recipients

Ten organizations were selected this year.

Kim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit
IndependentsApr 28, 2025
John Atencio Appoints 2 to Wholesale Team

Kim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit have joined the brand.

Sylvie Jewelry Auranova Collection Campaign Imagery
CollectionsApr 25, 2025
Sylvie Looks to Water in New Sculptural Bridal Collection

“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.

Pomellato Nudo toi et moi ring
FinancialsApr 25, 2025
Kering’s Jewelry Brands Persevere as Q1 Sales Sink 14%

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Deborah Meyers Experience The Birds Earrings
EditorsApr 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Deborah Meyers Experience’s ‘The Birds’ Earrings

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

Melee diamonds from De Beers
SourcingApr 25, 2025
De Beers Sales, Production Fall in Q1 Amid Uncertainty

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.

LIM-401 2024 National Jeweler Supplier Bulletin- iD100 Web and Eblast FINAL (1).jpg
Supplier BulletinApr 24, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Wolf CEO Simon Wolf
EditorsApr 24, 2025
Q&A: Wolf’s CEO Talks U.S. Expansion

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

Iowa jeweler Herman Ginsberg
IndependentsApr 24, 2025
Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy