by David Smith, on May 15, 2019 10:52:11 AM
In a competitive marketplace, how do you make sure you’re attracting and retaining the right kind of talent for your business?
Getting the right person is great - they’ll whizz through the work, wow your customers, work well with the rest of the team and help your business grow.
Getting the wrong person, on the other hand, is costly, time consuming and potentially damaging to your company’s reputation.
So what makes the difference?
We think it all comes down to the culture you create.
Of course, it’s important to put an attractive offer together in terms of pay and benefits but ultimately, it’s the values that will be what makes a person feel they fit in and want to stay.
It may be a subconscious process but right from their initial contact with you, they’ll be forming a view to see if the company values match their own personal values.
Assessing a candidate’s skills, competencies and experiences during the recruitment process will obviously be crucial but you’re also looking for someone who shares the company’s values and who will get on with the rest of the team
The culture will bind someone to your firm, create loyalty and be the determining factor in whether they’re prepared to go the extra mile.
Why is culture so important?
We spend a third of our lives at work so it’s important to make it somewhere people want to be.
Work culture is the defining factor that makes some places great to work and other places positively toxic.
An encouraging environment will help a person work to the best of their skills and capabilities. A negative culture not only kills creativity but also prevents a team member from developing a sense of affection and ownership with the organisation.
Motivated employees will be your brand’s best ambassadors. They’ll spread goodwill about your company which in turn will enhance your ‘employer brand‘ and encourage more applications when you’re recruiting in the future.
A good work culture is one which encourages employees to support one another and watch each other’s backs. It can almost become like a family, with everyone wanting the best for each other.
Matching a candidate’s values with yours
Psychometric tests, such as those offered by Myers-Briggs or Belbin, will give you a good indication of what makes someone tick and how they will behave in certain situations but their values will show you what they hold most dear, so try and ask some probing questions at interview to establish their priorities.
Both you and the prospective employee want the recruitment exercise to be a success so take the time to make sure their values and work ethic is in line with your culture.
Make sure your values are clearly defined
Every company will be different so think about what your business really stands for:
Honesty, integrity, hard work, having fun, exceeding customer expectations, going the extra mile, being the change you seek…?
The possibilities are endless but take time to establish the ones that ring true for your business and are what your team have signed up to.
Once you have your values in place, it makes it easier to decide if a prospective candidate will fit in with them. If your company has a very team-based, collaborative culture, for example, then an individual who is ruthlessly in pursuit of their own goals will struggle to fit in.
What’s most important in your business? Is it the amount of profit made or the length of time a member of staff spends with a customer? Is your culture young and informal or is it more traditional? Questions like this will help you set your values.
Next steps
- Now that you have your values, think about how you put them across in your recruitment materials.
- Use the right channels to attract the type of employees you’re after - how will they be doing their job search? Use ‘social channels’ as well as traditional ones.
- In our online world, candidates will have had access to a lot of information about your company already so make sure you’re upfront and honest.
By using the Growth Series’ free recruitment documents, you accept and agree that YBS Group give no warranties or representations concerning the documents, and accept no liability in relation to their use.
[Background reading]
https://www.ziprecruiter.com/blog/why-company-culture-is-so-important-for-attracting-talent/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270338
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