Would you be surprised if you were told that your company possesses a recruiting weapon so powerful it puts 
rocket fuel to shame? In fact, it has so much power that in one fell swoop it can improve the quality of your hires, your retention, your productivity and best of all the happiness on your employees. Every company has the ability to cultivate their weapon in order to win the mighty battle that is recruitment, so what is this mighty arsenal? Your company culture.
You may have heard this term, it’s a bit of a buzz word at the moment, but If you haven't let us explain. In short, company culture is the term now used for the collective behaviours, values, beliefs and principles within a business. It is your company's personality and this is massive when it comes to attracting the best talent for your vacancies.
You may be offering the best employment package in the world but if your brand is letting you down and you aren't considered a 'good company to work for' you will be left with all the chaff while the wheat goes elsewhere. In a recent survey by an online board a whopping 91% of respondents said that employment brand played a key role in their decision to apply for a vacancy or not. No prizes for guessing what is the main driver of an employer’s brand; the company culture.
How's yours culture and more importantly how are you implementing it into your recruitment?
If you have a happy band of employees, a low turnover of staff and a healthy cash flow chances are you have good company culture. The problem is that if the only people who know this are the people already employed there, and you aren't selling it, nobody is going to risk moving from a secure job in a good company to one who may come across as secretive.
If you don't showcase your company to the folks on the outside you are unlikely to find the best talent, never mind the right ones. The time is nigh to unleash this secret weapon from its four walled prison that is your office. The first step in acknowledging that your company culture should be one of your top priorities.
If you are unsure that your staff are as happy as you are ask them if you believe they will answer truthfully, otherwise create a short questionnaire, give one to every member of staff and ask them to fill them in anonymously. Only by finding out how your staff really feel will you know the current strength of your company culture and be able to address any issues before you start selling it.
Now comes the hard sell. 90% of people who see jobs advertised at companies they don't know much about head straight to their website to find out more. Make sure yours is informative, engaging and user friendly. In your about us section sell your company culture as a massive plus for your company. Bullet point how low your staff turnover rate, add images of the inside of your offices and really get the point across that you are the place to work. If your current employers are really engaged asked them to add video testimonials, show a day in the life of your organisation or the current activates and charity work you do to build team morale.
Another way of highlighting your company culture is to go down the proactive recruitment route and actively seeking candidates across social media platforms where it is easier to ask current employees to join in, share content and spread the message. You can mention your company culture in your contact with prospective candidates and point them to your website or let them see for themselves across your social media channels, you can even have your own hashtag #happytobehere. You never win a battle if you don't use your most powerful weapons, so don't lose the recruitment war when you have such heavy artillery as your disposal.
Latest posts by Alex Avery (see all)
- Your Company Culture is a Powerful Recruitment Tool - October 10, 2019
