Building Culture-First Companies: Right Fit Advisor’s Vision for Tomorrow

Right Fit Advisors is a technical staffing firm specializing in scaling startups and larger organizations. However, those simple words hide the complexity of the work culture in today’s society for which Shahrukh Zahir has to find employees. He originally went to Georgia because of the surging tech expansion in Atlanta, but once there, he saw that he was a perfect fit for this southern society’s business world.

“I wasn’t really looking at the culture or the dynamic of Atlanta when I decided to move,” Zahir says. “It was more for the opportunities with the growing tech industry. I’m now embracing and adapting to the culture, the environment, the climate, the traffic, and the food.”

As Zahir explains, work culture is different today than it used to be, not only in America’s South but all over. Society moves faster. Technology changes almost daily. Businesses need to keep up or find themselves left behind. At Right Fit Advisors, Zahir talks with hiring professionals about retaining the right workers and creating a thriving culture where they will prosper.

“I talk about how to engage with the modern tech professional,” Sharukh says. “What are their motivations or aspirations? They have unique characteristics completely different from what the Boomers or even Millennials feel. The current workforce that’s coming up has a completely different drive, and you have to learn how to best communicate with them.”

For example, the coming generation takes advantage of a greater variety of communication channels than previous generations. Zahir says managers must understand that these workers get burned out on traditional methods, like connecting by camera or phone. Right Fit Advisors assists clients in learning the best ways to reach out.

“We discuss different key points and strategies on relevant topics that you must be ready for,” Zahir says. “You need to decide what can be done in person, when you should ask someone to come into the office, and when you should contact these workers remotely.”

The coming workforce understands the importance of artificial intelligence and machine learning. They trust technology-based tools that look at business needs and will allow them to automate the drudgery.

“We live in an automation society now, where people don’t want to waste time filling in Excel sheets and creating data sheets. They want AI to do those things,” Zahir points out. “You need to leverage tools to keep them engaged and build a culture with collaborative, creative, and innovative practices they can bring on board. That’s how these individuals and new talent basically want to be treated.”

Everyone agrees that business culture has changed dramatically in recent years. Covid-19, shelter-in-place, and remote work upended many workplace norms, but Shahrukh Zahir reminds CEOs and managers that there’s more than simply those obvious developments.

“We grew up with many different movements around us,” Zahir explains. “Everybody now wants to feel that they’re part of something larger and make an impact. But they also want to be true to themselves. Today’s employees look for what you can do for them that will allow them to accomplish their goals for themselves and society. Leadership is about knowing what empathy and purpose mean for them.”

Zahir emphasizes that these qualities mean different things to Boomers, Millennials, and Gen-Zers. Understanding what these key points mean to each worker is essential. In addition, the emerging workers have more expectations of what work culture needs to do for them, Zahir says.

“I’ve devoted my entire career to helping others cultivate a thriving organizational culture. There’s nothing more rewarding than creating a dynamic work environment that empowers everyone to reach their full potential and stay committed to their goals. I believe that my true purpose is to inspire and build teams of excellence.”

Zahir also works with Right Fit Advisors clients to focus on the social corporate responsibility component that today’s workers are coming to expect in the places they want to work for.

Zahir shares that his COO previously served as a director of a nonprofit organization. During her tenure, she collaborated with both large and small corporations to arrange corporate events that centered around volunteering. These events typically involved giving employees time off to participate in local nonprofit activities. The idea was to foster a culture of service and encourage everyone to come together and give back to the community.

Shahrukh Zahir firmly believes that a company’s success is intertwined with the happiness of its employees and the communities they live in.