What differentiates the highest-performing companies from the rest? Higher-quality products? Better people? Not exactly.
Sure, they might support your organization for a while, but that advantage will fade without a strong foundation to build on. If you want to set your company up for long-term success, you need a powerful company culture to fuel your recruitment efforts and set yourself apart.
Your company culture encompasses the company’s mission statement, core values, ethics, and goals. In any industry, what people do might not differ, but top employers distinguish themselves in how they do it.
So, why is company culture so important, and how can you share your culture with future employees and customers before they even have to ask? Here’s how to embrace your company culture so you can find your weapons in the war for talent.
What Is Company Culture?
In today’s modern recruitment landscape, company culture matters more than ever. Simply put, it’s a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, standards, and purposes shared by your organization. It reflects the written and unwritten rules that everyone in the organization follows. In other words, it’s the sum of what your team thinks, says, and does as you work together.
When company culture comes to mind, most recruiters think of the same buzzwords: diversity, collaboration, engagement…you name it. Of course, every culture is built differently. Some industries (think: banking) lean toward more conservative cultures. Meanwhile, other companies operate in a top-down style, with a small group of people making decisions about how the company works.
That said, no type of culture is better or worse than the other. To build a thriving culture and fuel your recruitment efforts, you need to find an effective solution for your team. Why? It’s simple: Your company culture can have a dramatic impact on job satisfaction, engagement, and even productivity for employees.
Think about it: When employees feel like they fit into the company culture, they’ll want to support your company and focus on doing their best. But if your culture isn’t the right fit, your employees might feel like they don’t belong—and that might give them the push they need to start looking for a new employer.
Why Does Company Culture Matter?
Cultures can vary significantly from company to company, but your company culture lies at the heart of your organizational success. Your culture influences the common set of behaviors and underlying mindsets that shape how people work and interact on the job, and that can make all the difference between motivated employees and quiet quitters.
Of course, building an amazing company culture isn’t going to happen overnight. You’ll need to incorporate your culture into your recruitment marketing efforts, day-to-day operations, and internal communications to drive real results. Here’s why it’s worth the time and effort to strengthen your culture.
- A positive culture boosts performance. According to research from McKinsey & Company, organizations with top quartile cultures reported a 60-percent higher return than median companies and 200-percent higher return than bottom-quartile companies. Overall, a strong culture leads to happier employees who are motivated to work harder to support your company.
- Your culture sets you apart. We’ll say it again: Every culture is built differently. Culture is vastly different from company to company—and it’s your key to setting yourself apart from the crowd. With so many organizations competing for top talent, a healthy culture differentiates your recruitment efforts and builds a strong first impression with potential candidates.
- Culture helps you adapt. The post-COVID recruitment marketing landscape is constantly changing, but a healthy culture can help you ride the wave. According to McKinsey & Company research, 70 percent of organizational transformations fail, and 70 percent of those failures are related to cultural issues. From decentralizing the decision-making process to prioritizing communication, your company culture can open the doors to long-term success and innovation.
- A negative culture can take a toll. An unhealthy company culture can have a major impact on your employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention which may cause employees to check out over time. Not only do negative cultures foster poor performance, but they can also wreck havoc on your company. Unhappy employees can discourage potential candidates from applying, and negative feedback about your company can even persuade customers to choose the competition.
How to Promote Your Company Culture
Now that you know why culture matters, how can you start sharing your company culture with the world? Whether you’re looking to reinforce your employer value proposition or build a steady talent funnel, here’s how to define your company identity with a standout culture.
1. Start From Within
There’s incredible organizational potential in fostering a workplace with strong values and diverse voices—and those efforts should always start from within. Start by involving your workers in team-building activities and regular communications about your company mission. From group community service events to email newsletters, internal efforts can help everyone become more familiar with the organization’s core values.
In addition, create incentive programs that reward employees for following your values. To go the extra mile, partner with external companies that reinforce those values. When you support and reward your employees, you’ll turn them into brand advocates. In turn, they’ll start sharing your company culture to prospective customers and job candidates.
2. Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Your company culture extends to your customer service culture. A strong culture doesn’t just ignite your recruitment marketing efforts; it can also help drive customers to your company. Your employees’ success, efficient communication, and satisfaction should be felt by your customers, too.
When you treat customers with respect and provide winning customer service, your customers will become ambassadors for your company, and your employees will become recruiters. Sounds like a win-win, right?
3. Share Employee Stories
Think of employee stories as user-generated content. Instead of using standard recruitment jargon on your hiring page, give prospective candidates a genuine glimpse into your culture with employee stories. This way, you’ll bring your culture to life—all while creating content to promote across your social media channels.
Remember: Storytelling is an effective way to communicate and promote culture. Consider encouraging loyal employees to share their journeys with your company—or ask employees what advice they’d give to future coworkers. Post the stories (in their words) on your website and social media, and potential candidates will notice their enthusiasm.
4. Build Employee Resource Groups
Employee resource groups (ERGs) can be a powerful tool for highlighting your company culture. ERGS position employees as leaders, whose aim is to build a diverse and inclusive workplace aligned with the companies they serve.
When employees can bring their authentic selves to work, they’re not only more likely to stay, but also more apt to share positive workplace experiences with their professional network.
5. Invest in Your Employees
Your employees aren’t only the heart of your organization; they’re also the voice of your company. You need to treat them with respect, ensure they’re doing meaningful work, and foster inclusivity in the workplace to keep them satisfied. At the end of the day, genuine belonging and a strong company culture will show employees that they play important roles in your success.
When you build a strong foundation and prioritize employee satisfaction, your employees will naturally praise your company—and that means sharing your culture with their friends, family, and colleagues.
Build a Strong Foundation for Success
Building a strong culture doesn’t just benefit your current employees. When you promote your culture through recruitment marketing, it can also attract prospective candidates and customers.
The clock is ticking—and you need to differentiate your company identity with an amazing culture to hire top talent. Download our self-audit checklist and schedule a discovery call with our team to audit your existing culture and start driving positive change.
