Organizational culture is often described as the glue that holds a company and its employees together. It is the magic that provides the motivation to employees to find ways to overcome challenges and get things done. How does organizational culture affect the process of hiring in a company? Can paying attention to organizational culture affect the quality of your hiring process? How can a company use its culture to improve hiring outcomes?
During the hiring process, resumes and cover letters may pile up and a company may effectively screen through many candidates using established selection criteria. However, in many cases it may come down to a selecting from a pool of several individuals, all of whom might be well qualified based on their accomplishments and experience. So, how does a company choose the best person to hire when open positions are limited?
Finding the right person for the job means finding the person who can work best in the company culture that has already been established.
Organizational culture is an established way that an organization or work environment functions. The way that employees interact with one another, habits, and norms of day to day activity all make up a company’s culture.
People who fit in with an organization’s existing culture are likely to feel comfortable in the workplace. As long as the existing culture is effective, fitting in leads to working well together. Those who work well together are more likely to offer and accept feedback and constructive criticism, even across managerial levels.
People who work well together are also shown to be better able to adapt to changes, for example, if a position is eliminated, a person may be able to take on another role within the company.
While technical, marketing and business fundamentals may be transferable in some cases from one type of company to another, the cultural upbringing of a candidate in a certain corporate environment could sometimes become the single reason for a new employee to easily adopt the culture of a new company or not be able to fit in at all. Quite often, finding a candidate who has experience working in a similar culture may be more important than finding one with experience specifically in your industry. However, there are always exceptions to the rule.
It is important to remember that a person’s background is not always the most important part of the hiring process. Selecting a candidate who gets along with the team may lead to a level of comfort that allows the new hire to introduce new ideas, even if they are different. Sometimes, hiring someone with a different background who fits in with your organizational culture is the best way to go. And this type of information is best noted and captured during the interview process. It helps to have the right recruitment system in place that allows you to easily capture such data in a structured and organized way.
Another benefit of finding a candidate who fits in with your organizational culture is that if employees enjoy their co-workers and working environment, they are less likely to leave the company. Lower rates of turnover mean less time and money spent on recruiting, hiring, and training.
Resumes, cover letters and online profiles provide critical information covering background, education, and skills. However, most new candidates require some training on a new job, regardless of their background. Skills can be taught on the job, but fitting in with the existing organizational culture requires an employee mindset that is willing to learn, adjust and figure out a way to work in the new environent. Getting to know a person during the hiring process can be invaluable, and capturing this information in the candidate management system can ensure that all information is readily available when your team makes a decision.
One of the best ways to find and recruit candidates who fit in with your existing workplace culture is to promote it. A website or job listing that effectively markets your employer brand can demonstrate the culture that exists within your company. As a result, it will attract candidates who can see themselves as part of your team.
If your careers site and job postings promote your employer brand and organizational culture, you are more likely to attract candidates who believe they will be a good fit with your business.
When an organization is able to provide modern platforms to those involved in the hiring process, it makes sure that hiring managers, interviewers and HR personnel are able to easily collaborate, share notes and make good decisions when looking for people that would be a good fit to your organizational culture.
For more information on how Simplicant’s applicant tracking system and recruitment platform can help you hire for better cultural fit, contact us and see a demo for yourself.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash