These days when we talk corporate culture, it seems everyone has an opinion. Now more than ever, people have instant reactions to company names. And when it comes to choosing a business to work for, it’s only a few short keystrokes to inside (and public) information on its culture.
What does this mean to a corporation when it comes to recruitment? It means you’d better be aware of what story you’re telling about yourself, what your employees are saying about you, and that when you talk culture inside your organization, you’re walking the talk, from before they sign on until long after they leave.
Company culture is incredibly important, especially within a small business, and ensuring that a new hire matches your organisation’s core values is vital.
So, how can you attract candidates who are going to thrive in your environment and (hopefully) stay with your business for a long period of time? It’s not just about finding people with the right skill-set; a good culture fit is important in order to maximize employee engagement, satisfaction and retention. After all, the last thing you want is for your new starter to leave due to a clash of values.
Recruiting is significantly impacted by your employer brand
Companies worldwide are experiencing the biggest talent shortage in over 10 years. Because job seekers are in the driver’s seat, they can demand far more than competitive salaries.
Experience, breadth, depth, development, and growth opportunities are among the chief demands that job seekers have in mind. Whether your company can deliver on some, most, or all of those demands, the messaging should be transparent from the very start.
Job postings and recruitment material are often a candidate’s first interaction with your organization. However, your employer brand only makes sense when you have buy-in from your current employees.
Employer branding doesn’t stop at hiring. In fact, it’s critical for marketing, HR, and operations to facilitate new employees as they transition from candidates to coworkers.
You got to know
You have a company culture whether you are aware of it or not. Your staff live and breathe it every day. But if you can’t articulate it yourself and don’t reinforce it, chances are that everyone sees it differently. By communicating your culture and how it supports your business, it becomes more consistent and more effective with everyone understanding it.
Company culture needs to run through everything you do within the business with a top down approach. If you put in the work of educating your staff with culture training from the moment they come on board, build it into your company meetings, projects, and every day work life, you are telling your employees that not only is culture valued and supported, but it is integral to who you are as a team.
In addition, make sure your HR department or hiring manager considers cultural fit when recruiting. If you’ve taken the steps to establish and feed your company culture, your employees will help you with recruiting. They’ll share your job ads, leave good reviews on Glassdoor and other company review sites, and encourage those who will add to the business to join the team.
The key takeaway is that if you’re honest with yourself, understand and live your employer brand, you can use it as an accountability measure. It should tell everyone what they can expect from your company, how it will act and react in all situations. And if you tell people who you are before they start working for you and then follow through, they will believe you and continue to tell your story.