Culture-Based Recruiting: Why You Should Hire for the Company Not the Job
When filling an open position, virtually any decision maker will seek out the individual which appears to be the best possible fit. The question is: should you be hiring the person who best fits the job description or the applicant which best fits your company Before making a decision, it’s important to consider the value of culture-based recruiting and what it means to your success as an organization.
Your company’s culture is formed by the routine behaviors and interactions which result in the collective expectations of your employees. For example, companies which are more receptive to employee input are likely to enjoy a more inclusive culture, which can lead to greater personal investment and involvement from one’s staff. By contrast, companies which operate with a more autocratic approach toward change might foster a culture which is more traditional in nature, where employees feel more like spokes on the proverbial wheel and are less likely to voice opinions or concerns.
Why is Culture So Important
Much like branding, your culture has great bearing on how people view your organization. Take Google for example: the tech giant has made headlines time and again for their progressive approach to work environments and culture-based recruiting. They display commitment to employee wellness by providing comprehensive benefits as well as on-site health professionals at work. Google has also pioneered simple initiatives designed to curb boredom or complacency, such as by allowing employees to set up and work anywhere, not just within their own designated cubicles.
While an organization’s culture is not solely determined by the perks it offers, these types of employee-centric workplace elements do serve to create a certain type of environment. In Google’s example, the atmosphere is meant to be fun, engaging and centered on addressing employees’ core needs as people before asking them to dedicate themselves to the company’s progress.
How Does Culture Impact Recruiting
Recruiting talent is no longer simply about offering a bigger paycheck than the next guy for the same types of responsibilities. In today’s world, more workers are placing emphasis on being happy on the job. For many people, that condition is less about financial compensation and more about an environment which is receptive and agreeable. Indeed, culture-based recruiting research performed by Harvard Business Review shows that college students rank culture and people above career potential, work/life balance and compensationïin that order.
Any owner or hiring manager knows that recruiting is only half the battle when it comes to talent, though. Equally important is retention, which can be influenced by cultural qualities to a large extent. An article published by Forbes in March 2015 detailed efforts by Aetna Health Insurance to curb their ongoing difficulty in retaining employees. CEO Mark Bertolini launched initiatives to improve wages and benefits while offering perks like on-site yoga and mindfulness training for workers. The result: a dramatic reduction in turnover rates and an estimated bottom-line improvement of about 3 to 4 percent in approximately one year’s time.
What Makes For a Winning Culture
It’s not difficult to illustrate the importance of culture-based recruiting in business, but it can be a tricky to nail down a specific magic formula for success. That means what works for a company like Google could prove perilous for other organizations, particularly those in operating in different industries. Try to imagine, for example, an automotive manufacturing facility which allowed workers to simply station themselves where they pleased on a daily basisïnot likely the best recipe for success.
The right culture for any company is one which fosters success, commitment and investment from employees and which in turn produces better performance, retention and overall worker satisfaction. How these ends are achieved will vary greatly from business to business, but there are several common threads which emerge in those organizations displaying the greatest long-term success.
Companies which enjoy successful cultures are frequently those which place greater emphasis on hiring and development. They focus on proper training and management, taking care to assign the right people into leadership roles so as to promote a favorable and cohesive environment. A good organizational culture begins at the top and is constantly reinforced, much as any professional behavior.
Finding Your Own Direction
Many business owners practice a follow-the-leader mentality, although in the case of culture, forging your own path is often a better route to long-term success. Culture-based recruiting should be performed based on a number of factors, from your long-term business goals to the actual type of talent you’re trying to attract. Finally, it’s vital to ensure that your company’s culture falls in line with your own personality and disposition. Without that consistency, it might be tough to reconcile your own goals and ambitions with those of your staff.
For more strategies to help instill a winning culture and grow your business, consult other helpful resources available here at the Mighty Recruiter.