You have narrowed it down to three applicants. All three are equivalently qualified for the open position. All three did well in the interviews. All three got approving nods from others in your firm. You have one open position. Who do you choose?

The answer is the one who will best extend your organization’s culture. It’s one step beyond cultural “fit.” Fit implies that the applicant meshes or they don’t. Yes or no. Day or night.

But the best firms don’t want homogenized people, they want something different. Which applicant will best absorb the culture while gently pushing outward on its boundaries? This is the person who will not only attend the lunch and learns, but they will organize a lunch a learn on something a bit different. This is the person who sees that all-hands meetings tend to feature softball questions from the staff and instead chooses to ask tougher questions. This is the person who may be marketing to a different category of client than has historically been marketed to because they see possibility.

The good thing about extending the culture is that it forces organizational growth. On your next hire, consider their ability to extend your firm’s culture.