Story by Gemma Beasley / February 11, 2022
Using company culture to hire the right people.
It’s always surprised me just how many company owners and hiring managers have trouble describing their company culture. Of course, they have one. It could be a positive one or a negative one – but there’s no escaping that one exists. Still, the question that needs to be asked is, “will this culture attract the construction professionals we need tomorrow as well as today?”
Of course, there’s also far more to a culture than summer Fridays, discounted gym memberships, or a lounge stocked with comfy bean bag chairs. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report for 2022, “for companies to attract, retain, and grow the talent that will bring them sustained success, they need to fine-tune — or overhaul — their culture to meet the expectations of professionals to be seen as human beings first.”
In the United States, 41% of job candidates consider company culture among their top priorities when deciding whether or not to take a job. Supporting this idea is the fact that posts by LinkedIn members regarding company culture have increased by 15% over the past three years. The point is: company culture matters. Now, what can you do about it?
Promoting Your Company’s Culture
59% of job seekers claim that the most important part of company culture in which business owners should invest is “professional development opportunities.” In fact, this is even ranked higher than flexibility, especially since working from home has officially lost its luster for many.
People really want to know if they’ll be able to thrive when they join your company. Will you not only give them the chance to use their current skills, but also the opportunity to develop new ones? Will you give them the opportunity to move into different roles? Do you need to begin implementing training courses or continued education? Does it mean you need to start supporting your team by championing women, minorities, or other disadvantaged groups?
The best jobsites have an inclusive culture – one with leadership that encourages workers to challenge themselves. According to the President of Suffolk’s Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Division, Ralph Esposito, “companies in any industry that offer their people a strong culture that gives them the peace of mind and tools to be their absolute best will attract and retain the very best talent.”
It’s good advice, because the job world as we know it is changing dramatically.
There was a 100% increase in job posts viewed per application in 2021 vs. 2019. There was also a 67% boost in engagement whenever the job postings mentioned company culture. Still, it’s not enough to have a strong culture – employers also need to be able to define it if they want to promote it. After all, candidates aren’t just interested in what salary you’ll offer or what the 401k match is. They want to know what sort of vision you have for the company. They want to know that your values align with theirs.
One of the best ways to define your culture is to use stories from your current employees. What has their journey through the company been like so far? What do they like about working for you? What have they learned since being part of your team?
You might also consider checking out this Forbes article on the topic (link). I’ll highlight some of the key points below:
⦁ Know your and your company’s “why”
⦁ Always start with core values
⦁ Focus on employee stories as much as customer stories
⦁ Get your leaders thinking and talking about culture
Whenever I meet with a hiring manager to discuss a new role, I ask them, “why would a person leave their job to come and work with you?” It seems like a straightforward question. It might even seem a little insulting. However, if you can’t answer it now, how are you going to convince the next candidate you interview?
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