When it works well, cultural fit can be a great thing, allowing organizations to create a working culture that bonds diverse people around shared values. When it is used wrong, it is basically another way to discriminate and perpetuate the status quo while absolving people of the guilt and enabling them to rationalize terrible, thoughtless hiring and management practices.

Unfortunately, it is often used wrong. I’ve seen it happen many times now. I’ve talked to many nonprofit as well as foundation employees of color who have been burned by “cultural fit” at their mainly-white organizations. It often happens in the following stages:

Stage one: A professional of color is hired and everyone is excited. The POC is excited though somewhat nervous due to being outnumbered. Still, they are hopeful due to the fact that the nonprofit or foundation has expressed a strong interest in focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion. They hope their voice would help the organization progress, change practices, open the door for more DEI.

Stage two: The POC starts building relationship and sharing ideas. “Hey, we should stop requiring job candidates to disclose salary histories, because that’s a great way to ensure people who are underpaid—women and people of color—remain underpaid.” Established staff nod their heads and smile encouragingly. But there is gentle push back, valid excuses, and few of the ideas get implemented. The POC is still hopeful and tries to find new ways to present these ideas, maybe through one-on-one meetings, or by bringing up studies and articles.

Stage three: The POC becomes more vocal, and the pushback now becomes more assertive. There is a message of “this is how we do things around here” and a subtler and more insidious message of “know your place.” The POC starts to become disillusioned and seeks the support of other POCs and allies from within and outside the organization. They see disturbing patterns. They are wondering if they can actually make a change at the org if they grin and bear it out, or if they need to get the hell out, and how to do it without screwing themselves and clients and other POCs who currently or who will work there.

Stage four: Things calm down but get kind of awkward. The POC keeps their head down and bide their time, trying to do as much good as they can while actively trying to figure out their options. They don’t suggest as many ideas any more, or they do so strategically, using code-switching and other techniques to sound less threatening or radical. They often avoid going out with coworkers because it seems fake. The organization continues its work using its status quo practices. It notices that the POC employee hasn’t been as excited about work or taking as much initiative and is concerned.

Stage five: The employee quits or else gets fired with “cultural fit” often the reason for the firing. The organization “learns the lesson,” which is that cultural fit is a critical component for their next hire, and that no matter how qualified the person is, if they don’t “fit” in with the culture, they shouldn’t be hired. The POC moves on to another organization, hopefully one that is better, but the damage is done, and it may take some time to heal from this experience and not be jaded and cynical.

Read the full article about cultural fit criteria by Vu Le at Nonprofit AF.