Green lights or red flags - what is your organisation’s culture raising?
A few weeks ago, we asked our jobseeker community on LinkedIn: "What’s the hardest thing to find in a role right now - skills fit, culture fit, flexible work or the right salary?" Given the high cost of living (and knowing that our jobseekers are always keen to know how much a role pays before applying) we guessed that salary might come out on top.
But it didn’t.
The hardest thing for jobseekers to find turned out to be the right culture fit. Finding a role with flexibility was the next most popular choice, which in some ways ties into culture. Salary was third, and finding a role with the right skills fit was way down the list.
So what does that tell us? It tells us that jobseekers find it relatively easy to find a role that matches their skills. It also tells us that jobseekers are looking for more than a role where they can put their skills to use. They want to work somewhere where they feel like they fit. Not just for what they can do, but for who they are, their values, and the way they want to work. And finding that is more difficult.
What does that mean if you are an employer? Two things. One, you need to get your organisational culture right to start with - people are less willing to put up with toxic workplaces than they used to be, and, two, you need to tell people about your culture before they start working with you. After all, there’s no point in having a great culture if potential employees have no idea.
Why is organisational culture important?
Culture impacts all parts of how an organisation works from leadership styles and team dynamics to how employees are rewarded for a job well done. It can also influence policies in areas such as including diversity in your organisation's makeup and offering flexible work or additional leave.
There are several reasons why you want to have a good organisational culture.
Attracting talent - A strong culture makes an organisation more attractive to top talent. People want to work for companies where they feel valued, supported, and aligned with the company’s mission
Employee retention - Once you’ve got those great people in the door, your organisational culture can help to keep them. Employees who work at an organisation where they like the culture are more engaged, more productive and less likely to look for a new role elsewhere.
Better overall experiences (and a better bottom line) - Organisations where employees love to work also tend to give better experiences to their customers or clients. And that means a better overall experience. And for your organisation, it means you are more likely to meet your bottom line whether that’s profit, or, more likely, in the case of for-purpose organisations hitting your impact goals each year.
How to communicate your organisation’s culture
Leverage your website and social media
Potential employees and customers or users of your organisation will do their research. So, highlight your culture on your website and social media pages. Include sections on your About page covering your mission, values and cultural aspects, and showcase how your organisation lives those values on your social media platforms. Enlisting employees is also a great idea. It’s one thing for the boss to talk about what the culture is, it’s quite another to hear employees being enthusiastic about culture and working for an organisation.
Talk about it in your job ads
Modern recruitment is a two-way street. Today’s jobseekers are discerning so your job ad is as much about selling your organisation to a potential employee as it is about telling them what you want from them. So alongside your sections on required skills/experience and the job description, include a section on your organisation. What makes it great to work there? What can employees expect if they join you?
Discuss it at interviews
Done right, an interview should be as much a chance for the candidate to find out about your organisation as it is for you to find out more about them. Give them the opportunity to ask questions and be sure to include discussions about the culture and what might fit for them during the interview.
What to do if your organisation culture is not quite where you’d like it to be right now
Having a great organisational culture does take some work. If yours isn’t quite right just now, here are some things you can do.
Start by looking at your core values and your organisation’s mission - if your culture doesn’t stem from and align with these then you might find it difficult to combine the two. Then, evaluate what you are currently doing to create a good working environment and create a starting point list. From there you can see what’s working and what’s not.
Ask your employees
It’s easy to think that organisational culture is just about free pizza on a Friday and a fun team-building activity a couple of times a year. But it goes deeper than that and should be reflected in how your organisation works in the long term. One of the best ways to determine what would improve the culture in your organisation is to ask your employees. Perhaps instead of spending the budget on in-office pizza every Friday, they’d rather that was channelled into going home a bit early on a Friday afternoon.
Create flexibility in your employee rewards and team-building options
Organisations often get stuck on one kind of team-building activity or reward structure, but if that doesn’t work for certain employees they may feel left out and less engaged. Friday night drinks for example might not work for employees with young children they need to be home for, or for those who do not wish to drink alcohol for personal reasons. Look at ways you can be flexible. For example at Christmas, could you run an afternoon event where employees’ families are welcome and then offer drinks afterwards for those who want to stay? Or perhaps when handing out rewards for a job well done, you could offer a range of voucher options, such as for the local cafe, petrol or supermarket, that the employee can choose from.
Align team-building activities with your organisation’s wider values
Many jobseekers, especially those looking for roles in the for-purpose sector want to work for an organisation that aligns with their values. So use team building as a chance to build on those values too. Offer time for volunteering during the paid working week, or arrange team activities such as tree planting, or working at a food bank or animal shelter.
Create policies that prioritise employee well-being
It sounds counter-intuitive and many organisations (especially if they are looking to make even a small profit, or have obligations on the funds raised), often put the needs of the organisation first. But, prioritising employee well-being can result in a more productive and happier workforce, which, in turn, improves your output. Two of the most popular benefits, when we conduct surveys among our jobseekers, are flexible working practices and additional leave. Well-being and mental health support programmes and professional development options are also good ways to support a better organisational culture.
Encourage open communication
One way to improve culture is to encourage open communication. Give your leaders training and support to ensure decisions are clearly communicated (including the reasons behind them if possible) and encourage different teams to talk to each other rather than work in silos. And, give your employees the confidence to speak up and know they will be listened to, even if you can’t always fully act on their wishes.
While building a great culture requires effort, commitment, and adaptability, the rewards are well worth it.
A version of this article originally appeared in our LinkedIn newsletter Purposeful Pulse. You can follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to the newsletter here.
