Why Should I Work for You?
In a competitive market for qualified construction professionals, it is so important to make sure you are promoting what your company can offer and highlighting company culture is key in competing for the right people for your team.
It’s always surprised me how many construction company owners and hiring managers sometimes have trouble describing their company culture. Of course, they have one. It could be a positive one or a negative one – but there’s no escaping that one exists. Still, the question that needs to be asked is, “Will this culture attract the construction professionals we need tomorrow as well as today?”
Is Company Culture Important?
Culture is not just about summer Fridays, discounted gym memberships, or free food in the kitchen. Candidates have moved well past that now. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report for 2022, “For companies to attract, retain, and grow the talent that will bring them sustained success, they need to fine-tune — or overhaul — their culture to meet the expectations of professionals to be seen as human beings first.”
In the United States, 41 percent of job candidates consider company culture among their top priorities when deciding whether or not to take a job. Supporting this idea is the fact that posts by LinkedIn members regarding company culture have increased by 15 percent over the past three years. The point is: company culture matters. Now, what can you do about it?
Promoting Company Culture
59 percent of respondents in a LinkedIn report claimed that the top area to invest in to improve company culture is “professional development opportunities.” This was ranked higher than flexible work support.
People really want to know if they’ll be able to thrive when they join your company. Will you not only give them the chance to use their current skills, but also the opportunity to develop new ones? Will you give them the opportunity to move into different roles? To go from the field into the office or vice versa? Do you need to begin implementing regular training courses or supporting continuing education? If you are already doing these things, are you promoting them?
There was a 2-fold increase in job posts viewed per application in 2021 vs. 2019. There was also a 67 percent boost in engagement whenever the job postings mentioned company culture. Still, it’s not enough to have a strong culture – employers also need to be able to define it if they want to promote it. After all, candidates aren’t just interested in what salary you’ll offer or what the 401k match is. They also want to know what sort of vision you have for the company. They want to know that your values align with theirs.
One of the best ways to define your culture is to use stories from your current employees. What has their journey through the company been like so far? What do they like about working for you? What have they learned since being part of your team? You can then promote these stories on social media channels, not just LinkedIn. Instagram and TikTok are increasingly being used to attract potential employees and can be a great way to showcase the experience people will have whilst working for you. Promoting your business online in 2022 and beyond isn’t just about attracting customers, you should also think about it as a way of attracting employees.
Once you’ve defined your company culture and your core values, get your leaders thinking and talking about it, both internally and externally as a way of further promoting.
Whenever I meet with a hiring manager or business owner to discuss a new role, I ask them, “Why would a person leave their job to come and work for you?” It seems like a straightforward question. It might even seem a little insulting. However, if you can’t answer it now, how are you going to convince the next candidate you want to hire?
Gemma Beasley is Principal and Construction Recruiter with Hudson Cooper Search, based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Follow Hudson Cooper on LinkedIn
