Employer Resources:
- Tune up your interview strategy: How to develop a unique approach that works best for your Company
- Benchmarking for team success: How keeping an eye on your competitors can revitalize your Company
- Mastering the language of effective performance evaluations: Writing tips for HR Managers
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The Importance of Company Culture When Hiring
A company’s culture is what defines the tradition for accepted conduct and general work environment. It acts as the basis for how employees are expected to behave. In simple terms, a company’s culture is the “personality” of an organization. It’s how the collective group of people conduct themselves day in and day out on the job.
Company culture plays a big role in hiring and retaining the finest employees in the market. Just like a group can have shared beliefs, traditions, values, practices and rules, so does a company. The ‘company vibe’ as a common reference to company culture, is a voice to the practices, expectations and values of members of a company. It is about the ‘employer brand’ for aspiring employees and defines ‘how things are run’ around the company.
Problems arise when a company fails to define its cultural norms for its employees. Like a family or a classroom in a school, the ones in authority must verbally state the rules and define the expectations in order for the group to function at its best.
Recruiting for Cultural “Fit”
When you recruit new employees, try to seek people who will ‘fit’ your corporate culture. Find out if their values are in line with what your company thinks is important. You will attract like-minded people if you take time and allocated resources to market your company culture. In addition, you will also turn off job seekers who are actually better suited elsewhere. Although job roles frequently change, a company’s culture is not so dynamic. Therefore, hiring people that are attuned to your company culture increases the possibility of retaining them long term, even duties change.
Most companies have a favorite style and favorite questions when interviewing candidates for employment. When designing your interview questions, write open-ended, behavior-based questions. These are questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” response or a “textbook” answer. Anyone can memorize or guess at the preferred answers to questions – that is, answers that are known to be “right.” However, asking scenario-based questions (such as “Tell me about a time that you had to deliver bad news”) will actually give you insights into how the candidate would handle a situation, how they would treat other people, and, in essence, how they would behave on the job. Knowing their responses to behavior-based questions will help you determine if an applicant fits the company culture and possesses the kind of values the company desires.
Analyzing a candidate’s responses to these favorite questions is of primary importance when determining whether or not the candidate is best suited for your firm. Part of the candidate’s response should be a definition, not an ‘ideal’ response but a hoped-for response. This says a lot about the individual in reference to the company culture.
Background checks and references on the candidate, including the type of environment in which the candidate previously worked, will help determine the candidate’s “fit” in your corporate culture.
Communicating Your Culture to Potential Employees
How do you communicate to candidates what your company “stands for?” How do you relay your company’s culture? Here are several suggestions:
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First of all, does your company have a vision and mission statement? If so, the vision and mission should be clearly communicated to staff and potential job candidates. If the company does not have a vision or mission statement, start there. It is important to state in writing the purpose, goals and ambitions of the company. This is a first step in getting staff to all “walk in the same direction.” It also is the first step in hiring people who share your values and goals as a company.
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If you can’t define your company culture – if you can’t put it into words -- you can get help by asking your current staff members through a survey or focus group. Ask them what they think the company stands for, and ask what the company emphasizes as important. Come up with a set of common attributes amongst your employees, and then define and document them.
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While designing the company’s career website and recruitment advertising, keep your company culture in mind. Find ways to use corporate branding to actively bring out your company culture.
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Other channels that help connect people with your organization are testimonials, blogs, information interviews and even recruiting parties.
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Communicate honestly. Be forthright about your company culture. Describe your company the way it is, and not the way you wish it would be. That way, the candidates you hire will be aware of where your company currently “stands,” and can be on your team to take it to the next level. There’s nothing better to strengthen corporate culture than clearly defined goals that people can work on together.