What Role Should Culture Play in Your Recruiting Strategy?

Companies that effectively manage their culture attract the best-fitting talent, shorten new-hire learning curves and deliver higher-quality customer service and productivity. They identify the cultural characteristics that their desired candidates are seeking and incorporate them into their strategy. If necessary, they use any differences as an impetus to improve their culture for the sake of building bench power.

Culture Impacts Talent Management

Culture has its roots in the core values, beliefs and goals of an organization. Cultural integration should begin at the point of first contact with a prospective hire and continue throughout an employee’s tenure.

• Recruiting a candidate without considering how they fit your culture may solve your immediate hiring need, but you’re missing a critical element for long-term success. This is especially true among millennial and Gen X employees – a population that prioritizes meaningful work and values alignment over salary. In a recent survey, college students preparing to enter the workforce said they would accept a starting pay level of 7 percent less in order to work for an organization whose culture they appreciated.
• Job fit plus cultural fit equals a successful hire. Every company has a culture that encourages some people and discourages others. When you hire, you don’t just acquire skills. You welcome a new belief system and way of doing things. To ensure that the candidate’s way is your way, it’s critical to define every desired attribute and what they mean to your organization.

Hire for Cultural Fit

How people view their work has a significant impact on the quality of the final product. Culture is the tie that binds different intellects and personalities together as they work toward a common goal. If your core values are clearly defined and communicated and all employees – starting with prospective and new hires – know their impact, there will no confusion regarding roles and responsibilities.

• Define your employment brand. It’s impossible to recruit for cultural fit unless you know what your culture is. Identify the unique beliefs, behaviors and practices of your organization. Review mission and vision statements, stakeholder reports and marketing collateral items that convey the company’s identity. Present a strong, consistent message to current and future team members.
• Culture goes well beyond a job description, but it’s a good place to start. Provide as much detail as possible in job descriptions, so candidates can screen themselves out early if they feel your culture doesn’t align with their lifestyle. Maximize interactions during the interview process to get an accurate candidate picture. Get to know each individual and learn as much as possible about their ideal work environment.

The Payoff

In a healthy corporate culture, everyone is in sync as they work to achieve both company and personal goals. Culture drives:

• Retention: If employees feel “at home” working for a company, they develop positive attitudes and a strong sense of long-term loyalty. Turnover decreases and quality and customer service grow.
• Reputation: Companies known for having a culture where employees are valued and appreciated enhance their image and standing in the career marketplace.

Of 18 companies that have remained at or near the top of their markets for the past 50 years, all place a high value on hiring, developing and managing employees based on clear cultural principles and beliefs.

For further insight on hiring to enhance corporate culture and related executive recruitment strategies, read our related posts or contact the executive search consultants at BrainWorks today. We look forward to hearing from you!