There’s a lot more to hiring than plugging warm bodies into empty desks.
Recruiting for a tech startup without a strategy is like randomly drafting players for your fantasy football team. It’s never going to take you to the playoffs in your office league, but at least you can say you have a team.
A healthy company culture is the secret sauce for making strategic hiring decisions.
It’s easy for an entrepreneur to overlook and underestimate the importance of culture when they’re ready to build their team. Cultures grow over time with a group of people that share a common set of values. Startups haven’t been around for long, and they usually begin with one person or a handful of friends. Until you bring in someone new, there’s no need to think about culture. That’s why, for many leaders, it doesn’t come up until they start hiring.
A strong company culture matters to top talent.
Good culture attracts good candidates. Top candidates are factoring culture into their decision to pursue a role in a company- are they a good match? According to an Indeed survey, 72% of job seekers say it’s extremely or very important to see details about company culture in job descriptions. In fact, culture factored in higher than salary.
Candidates are leaving unhealthy workplace environments at record rates- the number one reason people quit their job was a toxic company culture (62%). They’re determined to not make the same mistake in their next job. The antidote to a toxic workplace is a strong company culture. If your company doesn’t communicate that it has a healthy culture, the candidates will move on. It’s not worth the risk.
The right candidates are looking for more than just a job that matches their skill set. They want to work in an environment where they experience a sense of community. They want to know that their actions make a difference. These are reflections of the working relationships within a company culture.
A healthy culture matters to the company.
Stronger cultures have higher retention, lower turnover– saving a company time and money. According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary.
It creates an environment that maximizes innovation and high performance.
Long before the hiring process starts, a savvy entrepreneur will create the structure for a healthy culture. A solid culture:
Lives out the company’s values. What is your company’s mission- why does it exist? What are the guidelines for decision making? These are your company’s values. The leaders determine the mission and values. They aren’t up for discussion with new team members. Leadership sets the direction, models it, consistently calls attention to how decisions reflect the values.
Offers training and opportunities for professional growth. What is your onboarding process? Who is available to mentor a new team member?
Protects a healthy work/life balance. Does your company offer remote workdays? Unlimited paid time off?
Communicates clearly and openly. How do employees interact with leadership? What’s your process to address concerns? Is management responsive to feedback?
Prioritizes diversity and inclusion. What steps are you taking to initiate with candidates that offer perspectives from different backgrounds?
Acknowledge efforts and contributions.
Once these pieces are in place, let the hiring begin! Your company culture needs to be infused throughout the interview process. The job descriptions tie responsibilities to the company’s mission. During the interview process, talk about the company’s mission and values. Include the people the candidate will be working with in the process. Give candidates opportunities to ask questions.
Hiring the right people, for the right role, at the right time, boils down to how well you communicate your culture to applicants. It matters, because everyone in the company contributes to building culture.
At RecruitGyan, we use a Cohesive Culture Method to analyze the health of your company’s culture, so that you’re able to target the candidates that are a perfect fit for your unique business. Reach out if you’re curious about how our process works!
