When did "culture fit" become code for sameness? And when did "different" become "not hirable?" When Kendrick Lamar said, "Not Like Us," he wasn't talking about your team.

"Culture fit" used to describe a workplace vibe or personality, but somewhere along the way it became, "Is this person the same as me?" And there's a name for this. It's called affinity bias, the tendency to favor people who feel similar. Same university, same career journey, same hobbies, same personality. Same. Same. Same.

For many hiring managers, this attraction to sameness, is not intentional. But it mistakes comfort for compatibility.

And here's the truth: no one has been able to determine if "culture fit," as it's currently being defined, actually predicts job performance. What it predicts is how much the interviewer liked the conversation. Let's call it what it is.

Difference isn't the risk you think it is. Sameness is. Groupthink is. Not having people on your team who will challenge your ideas and ideals is. What's compatible isn't always similar, and sometimes that's exactly what your company is missing.