Hiring in the Interiorscape Industry: Build a Stronger Team

Many interiorscape company leaders approach recruitment by looking for candidates who closely align with their company culture—those who share similar values, working styles, or goals. The assumption is that this will lead to a more cohesive, high-performing team capable of driving business success. But when it comes to hiring in the interiorscape industry, research shows the opposite is true—prioritizing cultural fit alone may actually hold your team back.

The Impact of Diversity on Interiorscape Team Performance

According to a 2015 McKinsey report, diverse teams are 35% more likely to outperform their less diverse counterparts financially. One reason for this is that differing viewpoints can lead to productive tension—teams that challenge each other tend to perform at their best. While cultural cohesiveness might feel comfortable, it can actually limit a company’s ability to reach its full potential. In fact, the most effective interiorscape leaders don’t focus solely on cultural fit when building their teams. Instead, they seek out cultural adds. These are people who bring unique perspectives, experiences, or identities that expand the way the team thinks. By prioritizing diversity over similarity, interiorscape companies can build stronger teams with lower turnover.

Hiring Beyond Cultural Fit in Interiorscaping

For interiorscape managers who want to hire the best people, relying too heavily on cultural fit could weaken their hiring strategy. Personality, behavioral, and cultural tests may seem helpful, but research shows they only predict on-the-job success about 20% of the time, all while giving hiring managers a false sense of security. Instead of using these tools to guide recruiting decisions, save them for onboarding and team development to build self- and interpersonal awareness.

When evaluating candidates for performance, it’s more effective to assess for entrepreneurial talent rather than trying to match work styles, especially since the best in given roles often achieve results in very different ways. One way to know whether your hiring process is working is to look at the employee turnover rate. If, in the past year, it exceeds 9.2%—the national average for construction-related industries—it may be time to reevaluate your approach.

Structured Interviews for Better Hiring Outcomes

To strengthen your interiorscape hiring process, it’s important to revisit how you conduct interviews and transition from an unstructured to a standardized approach. Asking every candidate the same set of questions—focused on past behavior or realistic scenarios relevant to interiorscaping—provides a more accurate view of how they might perform on the job. Answers should be scored against a clear rubric to promote fairness and ensure consistent evaluations across the board. When implemented effectively, these structured interview practices not only reduce hiring bias but also support diversity and lead to stronger team performance.

Looking to improve your interiorscape hiring strategy? Explore professional development courses at GrowTheBench.com or reach out for one-on-one coaching tailored to your team’s needs.