There are a lot of benefits to a strong and well-embedded company culture, but there is often some confusion about how it can be used in the recruitment process. For the incoming employee, the workplace is going to be part of their future for some time to come, so it is important to fit with the ethos. To the employer who has worked to produce a delicately balanced company culture, the last thing they want is to bring in an element that will disrupt the working practices. However, we are sometimes asked whether this is so important that it is worth worrying about during recruitment.
Helping the decision
When you bring on a new member of the team, you and they are hoping that this is going to be a working relationship that will benefit both of you. By the interview stage, you will have already refined the applicants down into those with the skills or potential to meet your needs. If you can find those applicants that really do fit your ethos and ideals, then it could well make the difference in your final decision.
Reduced staff turnover
Agreeing with the company culture will inevitably reduce any potential tension between your business operations and the new employee. One of the main reasons people look for a new role is because they become disillusioned with their current employer. When you also consider that in the region of 30% of new employees will leave a new job in the first six months, you really start to get the importance of having employees that buy into your culture and want to stay in it.
Actively engaged employees are more productive
Engaging with the future of their employer, seeing the benefit of being part of the company culture and feeling a sense of security in the workplace all add up to increased job satisfaction. As we all know, job satisfaction is a key element when it comes to increasing the productivity of your team. This is all tied up with your company culture, so employing people who are already on board with it is a great way to see future growth.
Enhanced employer brand
We are all hearing a lot about the need for good employer branding these days and with very good reason. In the current employment market, there are quite a number of spot skills gaps and some reluctance amongst candidates to move employers. Post-pandemic workers tend to be being a little more careful about job security. If you want the best candidates, then as well as the right package, you will need to show who you are and why you will be a great employer. Your company brand and your company culture go hand in hand when it comes to appealing to candidates.
These are just a few of the reasons why you would want to introduce company culture into your employment process. It can be a powerful tool when it comes to finding the right person. However, like many powerful things, it must be handled right and used properly. There is a potential for bias in choosing candidates based on something outside their suitability for the job in technical or skill set terms. You do need to ensure that your hiring process is recorded and that your desire to find someone who will 'fit in' doesn't accidentally lead to a culture of exclusion.
If you have been lucky enough to visit the Hawaiian Islands, you will probably have been called 'Cousin' or 'Cuz' by someone at some point during your stay. It is a term of endearment. You will hear it used on buses, in shops and yelled across building sites. It is a greeting that means 'we are part of this together'. Factoring company culture into your recruitment process increases your chances of putting together a team that all 'buy in' to the same set of ideals. They are more likely to become cousins. The more cousins you have in your business, the more likely you are to receive the benefits of long-term employees and a happy workforce. With careful planning, and while making sure you avoid the possibility of bias, it could result in some real benefits for your business.
Call us to talk about company culture and any other of your employment needs; we're happy to help.