A challenging job and an attractive pay package, yet the candidate doesn't choose you. Perhaps the company culture is the cause? In today's war on talent, company culture is a key decision factor for candidates. Employers are often unaware of their company culture, but it plays an important role when it comes to attracting and keeping employees.

What is a corporate culture?

An organization's corporate culture consists of unwritten rules, habits and behaviors of employees. The norms and values that prevail in an organization make up the culture.

You can compare a corporate culture to an iceberg. The visible part consists of processes and policies. Think, for example, of sliding work hours, the possibility of telecommuting, an open-door policy, etc. The invisible part consists of behaviors, beliefs, values and norms. This part is noticeable, for example, in how employees address each other, the way they act, and how they behave toward each other.

Why is corporate culture important?       

Becoming aware of your corporate culture has a big impact on your organization for 2 reasons. When all employees are aware of the company culture, they better understand the mission, vision and strategy of the organization. Indeed, employees have a better understanding of what is expected of them and how they contribute to the success of the company. As a result, they feel a stronger connection to it. 

Second, a clear company culture allows for faster onboarding. When you hire new employees, it's important that they quickly get a feel for your company culture. From day one, new employees must be immersed in the culture. You do this by immediately giving them clear answers to questions such as:

• How do you interact as colleagues?
• What does the afternoon break look like?
• How do you behave during a meeting?

With this kind of information, the new employees get a good idea of the company culture. In this way, they will be able to settle in more quickly and be more confident in their new job.

Recruitment and corporate culture

Your company culture is important with current and new employees, but is actually important at the recruiting stage. If the company culture is clear, candidates can better assess whether they will fit into the culture. You can include your company culture in the job profile and the vacancy text, or you can explain it thoroughly at the interview. That way, you have a better chance of a successful hire.

Do you need help with your recruitment? You can rely on Axintor Interim. Our account managers get to know your company culture through thoughtful questions and a company visit. After that they suggest which temporary employees would best fit your organization.

Contact one of our offices to get started today. By the way, we recently did the thinking exercise ourselves to become more aware of our own culture. Check it out on LinkedIn.