You’re hiring! The exciting process of adding someone new to your team is in full force except, as the days pass, you notice the right talent just isn’t biting.
You’ve tried multiple job boards, your job description is on point, not to mention that what you’re offering in terms of pay and benefits are fairly competitive. So, what gives?
If despite all your efforts you’re not seeing an improvement in the quantity or quality of applicants received, it may be time to take a long, hard look at your company’s culture to see if your place of work is, well, a place where people want to work.
Company culture is defined as a company’s core values, practices, goals, expectations and processes. All of these components work together in telling your company’s’ story and vision for the future. It also hints at the type of environment future employees can expect to work in as well as the potential challenges they’ll face.
Your company culture can also signal to potential employees whether or not they can expect to enhance or develop their talents, if there is room for growth or advancement, or if the desire to further their education will be encouraged or rewarded.
“But we’re offering a competitive salary”
That may be, but in today’s market most job seekers consider company culture just as important as the salary or benefits offered. Great company culture also leads to higher retention rates and better performance, something salary alone can not provide.
For those who may be afraid of change, it should be said that having a great company culture is not just some passing fad. In fact, as more and more job seekers (especially talented, tech savvy Millennials and Gen Z) dive into the workforce they do so seeking purpose, value, and leadership from their employers, not just a paycheck.
That is why the company’s who’ve built a great culture (Google, Zappos, and Twitter to name a few) have not only continued to thrive, but why they have so many talented individuals constantly applying to work with them.
Google for example has received 75,000 applications in just one week (Yikes!) While those numbers probably well exceed what your business is hoping to bring in, it does showcase just how important a company’s culture is when it comes to attracting applicants.
If you’re finding it difficult to attract or retain top talent now, it will only become more difficult in the years to come. So if you’re looking to make changes, act fast. You can start by opening a dialogue between leadership and employees. Once you get started down the right path, together you can revisit what’s important, and what your vision is going forward. Once this is done, be sure to get with your marketing team and discuss how you can project your culture online to gain interest and increase your talent pool.
While not every company culture is the same, you can always learn from those who do it right. With that said, here are three companies (other than Google, Zappos, and Twitter) who’ve built a fantastic culture and leveraged it to attract (and retain) top talent.
Beepi
Founded: 2013
Headquarters: Los Altos, CA
Notable Culture Traits: Honesty, Transparency, Equality.
If you thought buying groceries from your cell phone was neat, wait until you what you see what you can buy on your phone with Beepi. Established in 2013, Beepi is really shaking up the car world by making it possible to shop for, sell, buy in cash, finance, or lease a car in real time, 100% online. Yes, even from your mobile phone.
Part of what makes the team at Beepi so great is how brutally and refreshingly honest they are. They’re a no-holds-barred style start-up that is completely transparent when it comes to what they expect from their employees and what employees can expect from them. They value each employee as an individual while also encouraging them to work as a team by promoting open and honest communication between all staff members (including executive staff.)
Each employee is encouraged to share and contribute their thoughts and ideas, which gives everyone at Beepi a voice. Beepi is not only inclusive but forthcoming about everything from the work environment potential hires can expect, their vision for the future, but most importantly, how determined they are to keep that atmosphere alive no matter what.
Warby Parker
Founded: 2010
Headquarters: New York, NY
Notable Culture Traits: Community, Creativity, Eco-Friendly
Who would have imagined the eye-wear industry could be so fun?! The founders of Warby Parker did, and that imagination has not stopped. Since their foundation in 2010 they have not only kept their company culture alive, but they’ve kept it fresh by revisiting and expanding upon it in 2015.
Aside from offering boutique-quality glasses for just $95, they’ve also partnered with local non-profits, meaning that for every pair they sell, they’ll also donate a pair to a person in need (how great is that?) Their stores help stir a sense of community too by offering a great selection of books to purchase and by inviting local artists to come in and serenade customers.
Between employee “class trips” and newly formed holidays such as “Wear Your Sunglasses to Work Day” it’s no wonder their employees are all smiles, or why so many applicants are itching to come aboard.
Riverbed Technologies
Founded: 2002
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
Notable Culture Traits: Persistence, Intelligence, Integrity,
Information Technology (IT) companies are notorious for their terrible retention rates, especially when compared to other industries, but not Riverbed Technologies. Most of their engineers have been there 10+ years (allowing them serious bragging rights in the tech world)
Employees describe their fellow techies at Riverbed as “smart, innovative, respectful, and progressive.” Traits that they say have encouraged them to remain focused at work, while also encouraging them to ask questions and continue learning so they can keep up with the pace.
Leadership is said to always be on the move, seeking and acquiring new projects, companies, products and more so the company or those employed never feel stagnant. They really know their talent too, since the majority of their intelligent yet introverted techies are allowed to work remotely.