Showcasing your company’s culture

But new, innovative and collaborative ways of working are making having a shared culture even more important. In fact, more than two-thirds of employers say a Candidate’s cultural fit is very important when looking for new staff – something we have been emphasising to our clients for almost 20 years.

So, what are the best ways to effectively communicate your company’s culture to potential new employees and make sure you are attracting the right people? A recent report from LinkedIn on motivations for Candidates has revealed the top five ways in which they would prefer to learn about your organisation’s culture.

Office Visit – 51%

The most popular way that Candidates would like to get to know your company’s culture is by visiting your office. The working environment is very important to employees and if you’ve spent time creating a modern and welcoming place to work, why not show it off to potential new employees by giving them a quick tour of the office?

Of course, if you’re using video and telephone interviews to assess Candidates who don’t live close by, it’s not possible to show them round in person. Consider creating a 360° video tour of the office to post on your website; seeing the office layout makes it much easier for Candidates to visualise themselves working in it.

Hiring Manager – 50%

Nearly as popular is finding out about your corporate culture directly from the hiring manager. It is very important for Candidates to talk to the person they will be reporting to, so line managers need to be involved in the Recruitment process as early as possible, even if it’s tempting to leave everything to the HR team.

The LinkedIn research shows that 56% of Candidates are more likely to respond to initial approaches about Recruitment, if they are made by a hiring manager. So, line managers need to have a good understanding of your organisation’s culture and be prepped to ‘sell’ the working environment, benefits and shared values in interviews.

Other Employees – 46%

Nearly half of Candidates want to find out about your company’s culture from your current employees - their potential peers. Getting team members to lead office tours or have a quick chat with interviewees, gives them the opportunity to talk about what life is like at your company. You can also share blog posts, video interviews or testimonials from your staff members on your website or on social media. Stories about how employees have successfully developed their roles at your company are a great way of demonstrating career progression opportunities.

Some companies have even developed formal employee ambassador programmes, educating employees on the company culture and brand and encouraging them to share their viewpoints with their networks.

Company Website – 27%

More than a quarter of Candidates want to find out about your culture from your company’s website; a careers page or microsite is effectively your shop front for employer branding. Visual content is particularly good at conveying atmosphere, so make sure to include lots of pictures and videos of company events, parties and life in the office.

Careers pages should also use language which matches your corporate culture, whether that is corporate and formal or more laid back.

Recruiters – 24%

Recruiters are usually the first point of contact for a Candidate, so it’s worth making sure you are working with a Recruitment partner who really understands your company’s environment and the way in which it works. Recruiters should know all the benefits and opportunities your company offers, from flexitime schemes to ping pong tables, so that they can effectively communicate your corporate culture to Candidates and get them excited about working for you before they even meet you.

If you’re looking for a Recruitment partner who will take the time to really get to know your company’s culture and your needs, get in touch on 01865 335 600 or jobs@allen-associates.co.uk.