I accept that this is often the case, but I still don't understand it. As long as a person is not belligerent/hostile/constantly whining/???, I don't understand why simply being professional, hard-working, smart, creative, etc. is not sufficient. I can even understand firing someone if their working style - however you define that - clashes with that of the rest of the team. Yes, we are social creatures and we spend most of our waking hours working, but why is it so important that you and I enjoy drinking beers with each other - or however you prefer to spend your "leisure time"?
It's as if the hiring process is really two-fold: first, is the formal interviewing process - during which your suitability for the role is determined - and second is pledging the greek-letter organization/start-up - during which your suitability for hanging-out is determined.
I'm not taking about having beers with the team or how one spends their leisure time. I'm talking saying that it is important to have a functioning social dynamic in the workplace.
For example, at Google we place a big emphasis on "Culture fit" during our hiring process, but we have a very diverse workforce. My team and I share few common interests outside of work, but we're all able to get together in a room, communicate effectively, and generally enjoy each other's company.
In the past, I have worked with people that I can't wait to get away from. With these people it was a really challenge to get good work done, because to work effectively requires good communication. It's a lot easier to communicate if you actually enjoy talking to the person.
None of this has anything to do with musical taste, hobbies, or drinking habits. It's to do with attitude, courtesy, patience, and other character traits. Each workplace is different and different kinds of people will thrive or fail depending on whether they fit the culture of that workplace.
Now you are just relabeling stuff like communication skills as culture fit. How you used 'diversity' to mean fitting into a culture is beyond me. 'We have a diverse culture, everyone better fit in, or else'!!!
"second is pledging the greek-letter organization/start-up - during which your suitability for hanging-out is determined"
Like I said in another comment making a similar point, I completely agree. It feels like the industry has been hijacked by people who were actively ejected from all cliques in high school, and now they create their own cliques around them and eject people arbitrarily because "they are not like us".
It's as if the hiring process is really two-fold: first, is the formal interviewing process - during which your suitability for the role is determined - and second is pledging the greek-letter organization/start-up - during which your suitability for hanging-out is determined.