Using company culture to hire and retain employees

Company culture defines the persona of a business. It differentiates an organisation from the others and includes not only the work environment, but also the way employees interact with each other, how teams collaborate, expectations, the values, vision, and mission of a company.

Culture at work can be used for attracting talented candidates. It is also important for retaining your existing employees. A positive, empowering, and friendly company culture improves the productivity and performance of the workforce.

Amazing work culture will attract amazing candidates. Job seekers prefer working with companies that are invested in creating a healthy and motivating work environment for their employees. In today’s world of social media, the word can easily get out if the employees aren’t happy with your organisational culture.

Creating a peaceful work atmosphere, providing equal opportunities to all employees, and discouraging politics, harassment, and bias are some key ways to nurture a positive company culture. Employees who align with the values of your workplace culture are likely to have increased job satisfaction levels. 

The significance of cultural fit in hiring

Evaluating the candidates for culture fit is becoming important for most employers. When it comes to assessing the skills and work experience, on-job training can refine the skills and this is why hiring managers aren’t way too rigid with these requirements.

You can’t teach your corporate culture to a candidate or expect every job applicant to mould to it. Therefore, when recruiting, screening the candidates for their attitudes and values is essential, as it gives you an idea of whether a person will be able to work with other team members or can uphold your company’s values.

Workplace culture

Giving the potential candidates a clear overview of the workplace culture is a significant step for effective hiring. The best way to go about elucidating what working at your company will look like is to start from the job adverts. Use the language that reflects your culture. For instance, you can have a strictly formal description written if you have a more corporate culture.

A little informal language can be used if your organisational culture is not too corporate. As the job ad is the first point of information for the job seekers, so paint a picture of the kind of environment they will be working in, you can mention the number of employees as well or share details about the workspace layout.

Give an insight into the work environment, the values your business stands for and the benefits offered to employees in the job description. During the interview, you can provide further details about the company’s culture and ask questions to see if a candidate can fit well into it.

Tips for improving workplace culture

Just bragging about your culture in the job ad and during the interview will not convince the candidates, you have to make it visible for verifying the veracity of the details you proudly share with the potential hires.
Embedding your company’s cultural values across the whole organisation is important for hiring competent employees and retaining them. There are many ways for improving employee relationships and inculcating the company values.

Use social events and activities for team building and bonding

Without healthy relationships between the different teams, they will not share the values of your culture or work towards collaborative goals. Organise activities that expedite employees’ interaction and hold events where they can connect and celebrate individual and company accomplishments.

According to stats, employees feel more valued and productive if they have strong and positive work relationships. Fostering those connections depends on an employer’s approach and strategies. In addition to encouraging teamwork among different departments, events can play a significant role in getting the employees together outside of their workspaces where they can talk about their interests and bond.

Seasonal parties especially on Christmas and other festivities, company lunches/dinners, drinks out and celebrating the milestones are some ways to strengthen the relationships among teams.