Company culture has increasingly become an important aspect of any organisation. It is more than simply corporate visions or the way the office is decorated, it is the values, beliefs and practices that are woven through everything within the firm.
Assuming you have identified and already have a good idea of what your company culture is and means to everyone involved, using it to your advantage when recruiting could be your secret weapon for finding the right candidates for your empty seats.
Be Open
Many candidates would argue that honesty is what they’re looking for in a company. Of course there is more to it than this, but if you can be as transparent as possible this is the first step. Candidates can the see the organisation for what it is and decide from there whether your values match their own. For example, some individuals may be motivated by money with a bonus or commission lead culture attracting them most, however others may find this threatening or impersonal. If your organisation is this way inclined, you want to attract the first candidate, the latter would not be a good fit for your culture, so being open and honest allows the right candidates to come forward.
Shout About It
If something new or exciting is happening within the organisation, always try and get the word out there, distribute a press release and add it to your newsletter. Maybe you’ve won an award or introduced a new flexible working scheme – let your community know about it. Your website is the obvious place to put everything you’re proud of, and it’s likely to be the first port of call for all potential candidates. Showcase your culture and values in different ways; add a ‘day in the life of’ video, quotes from current employees or a photo gallery from a recent event. Social media is of course the perfect way to share this kind of content and is a great way to showcase your company culture.
Be Consistent
You have promised so much on screen, but you want to make sure each step of the recruitment process is not only true to what you’ve described but true to what day-to-day life is like within your organisation. The interview is probably the first time candidates get a real glimpse of this, so try and create an interview that will give them a taste of what life might be like there. They can get a feel for whether they are likely to enjoy working there, and you can get a feel for whether they’ll fit into the team. Make sure candidates meet key managers and team members, let them have a look around while everything is going on as normal so they can get a real sense of the office ‘vibe’.
Highlighting team bonding and team building activities in the recruitment process and describing what this might involve will also help a candidate to get a feel for what is valued and how things work. Many candidates are looking for a work life balance so they need to know what support is there, and whether there are options for flexible working.
Identifying and cultivating business culture can be an effective way to market your organisation and make it more attractive to potential new employees. If you’re still a little hazy about what your culture really is, speak to your current employees and managers and ask them about the atmosphere, reasons they like working there and what they might find frustrating, then build on that.
Your company is a brand and so should be your company culture, it should encompass everything you stand for and find important, reflecting that of your employees. Many organisations would describe their brand as their people, particularly in the service industry and your internal branding is all about shaping your company culture and a mutual belief in what’s important. Finding the right match is vital for the relationship to work, so use your culture to your advantage.
