Corporate culture is all the rage these days – you can thank big-think change companies like Netflix and Zappos for that. More than spreading corporate culture awareness though, these companies changed the way HR professionals should (and do) approach hiring. Instead of the old, “let’s post this job ad and wait to see what kind of applicants we draw” mentality, they upped the ante by creating a strategic employer scheme that was far more tactical than had been implemented prior.
The economic crisis eight years ago caused an influx of applications for every job opening forcing recruiters and HR professionals to develop creative screening processes to find a decent match for their positions. In essence, it opened the doors for the notion that employee engagement leads to employee feedback (and surveys) which lends itself to corporate culture, and finally, the need to find applicants that are a good fit for said corporate culture.
In today’s post, we’ll discover how to determine what your corporate culture is (or create a functional one for your organization in case your current corporate culture landscape is hurting the goals of your company), and then help you implement a recruiting strategy that allows your culture to lead the charge.
corporate culture “refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.
What is a corporate culture?
With a sometimes complicated topic like corporate culture, it’s best to start with the basics. So, what is it exactly? According to Investopedia, corporate culture “refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.” Or more specifically, it involves the social/group norms that exist within your organization. The easiest way to understand a somewhat convoluted and abstract term like “corporate culture,” it’s best to think of an example like Google, because we all know that Google has a very prominent culture. While you may struggle to identify the nitty-gritty details surrounding Google’s employee culture, you likely understand on an intuitive level the type of employees that would be a good cultural fit. If you’re still feeling a little unsure about what corporate culture entails, this Inc. article provides a decent breakdown.
Think you don’t have a corporate culture? You’re wrong.
If this is your first time either hearing or reading the phrase “corporate culture” then you’re probably thinking, “we don’t have a culture…” What you may not realize though is that you absolutely have a culture, it just wasn’t created by your organization’s leaders, but rather by default.
Default settings are dangerous territory for business success, and corporate culture is no exception. If you’re currently a victim of accidental corporate culture, it’s not too late to make changes. A good place to start is at the top – talk to your executive team about their vision for the company. Then, ensure that their vision trickles down the chain and is understood by every employee.
Next, devise a scheme or set of operations/principles that truly embody this vision – this is your new corporate culture. Obviously, this is a process, but one that will reap infinite rewards if you nail it. Plus, spearheading this little venture is one of the surest opportunities for strategic credibility.
Attract (and hire) applicants that embody your corporate culture.
This is where your HR prowess really shines. After you’ve helped your C-suite lay out a corporate culture strategy, then you can use those guidelines to provide the framework for the type of job ad you want to write in order to attract applicants that either align with your corporate culture, or would be a good addition to the vision of your company.
Again, this is easier said than done. I prefer to think of the company as a person. If your organization were a person, what behaviors would he/she possess? Cater your job ads around those. Another great tool is to give one of your current employees whom you feel embodies those traits, and have that individual take an assessment. Then, measure your top applicants against these benchmarks to determine whether he/she would jive well with your corporate culture.
Did you know that ApplicantPro’s hiring consultants are job advertising masters? We’d love to help you design an ad that represents your corporate culture. Just give us a call!
