Workplace Culture is about People, Not Things
Four million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021 with a record-breaking 10+ million job openings in the US (Harvard Business Review, 2021). Organizations are focused on providing an attractive workplace and culture certainly figures into this equation. Great benefits, work autonomy, competitive compensation, and a myriad of other inducements separate your firm from the rest. And while those things are important, people shape the culture, and their stories tell you a lot about the true workplace culture, and whether it is a fit for you or not.
There are many books, theories, and thought leaders who attempt to answer the question of how to build the best workplace culture as if it can be manufactured. Perhaps building culture is possible, but the more compelling question for me is: What is the right culture for you? All organizations have a culture. Some people might describe their culture as inclusive, competitive, healthy, loyal, trusting, while others may use terms like caustic or fearful to describe their workplace. Hard to label that which we cannot see! But the stories the team shares about your company are the most compelling stories of all.
I have an opportunity to interview and hire a lot of people. We typically have structured interviews and work hard to have different members of our team interact with candidates so we can ensure candidates understand our culture, and we, in turn, understand who they are as people beyond assessing technical aptitude. Sometimes we miss for one reason or another and that is a bummer. More often than not, we recruit people who know our culture fits them better than the other places where they interview. Here are a few intangible things you may consider in showcasing your culture:
Several Points of View – Interviewing can be exhausting for teammates because it detracts from their normal workday activities. However, potential employees are hopefully going to be with your company for years, so it is worth the investment to have several people interview candidates to gain many points of view. Upon completing respective interviews, our talent acquisition leader will circle back and summarize everyone’s feedback so the decision to hire is not solely on the shoulders of the hiring manager. Shared accountability is quite important to a candidate’s success because they gain a more comprehensive understanding of its people and culture.
Be Transparent – A lot of candidates tell me they are leaving because they did not get the things that were promised when they interviewed at the company they are leaving. This presumably leads to distrust. We encourage everyone to be open about their experiences when interviewing candidates because the last thing we want is for people to arrive and find their experience is way different from the environment described to them in the interview. Therefore, it is paramount that our teammates share their candid experiences with candidates so there is direct feedback about expectations and the work environment.
No Questions Unsaid – Sometimes a question feels like it is looming about the company or the candidate. We are fans of getting all questions out in the open rather than leaving something unsaid. A candidate recently asked me how comfortable we were in creating a leadership position that did not previously exist in the company. I let them know that the position is really important to our future success, and, to some extent, they would be helping us refine the role because we don’t have everything figured out. I suggested it would be important for them to be flexible. I appreciated the question because it helps them understand their role in solving for any unresolved issues. Conversely, if someone moves around a lot or was recently terminated, I want to know more about the situation to ensure there are no surprises later in the onboarding process.
Don’t Sell People on Why You are Sold – I have been fortunate to work in great organizations, but that is my experience, not theirs. It is endearing when someone asks me what I enjoy about working where I work, and I am glad to share my first-hand experience. However, we are more focused on understanding what is important to them. This relates to the Platinum Rule: Treat people the way they want to be treated rather than how I want to be treated. When interviewing people, asking people open-ended questions about what they want in their next employer is way more important than me telling them what I find important about my workplace. Challenge your candidate to tell a story about where they want to work so you can understand whether or not your company aligns with that expectation.
Understand the Candidate’s Narrative – Bringing people onto your team is not transactional, it’s transformational. Small and mid-size businesses need people to stay because it is too costly to have a revolving door of hiring. Therefore, when the interview process is nearing completion, we like to know what their experience has been like and offer ample opportunity to share their excitement or ambivalence about the opportunity. If a candidate feels underwhelmed or concerned about the fit, escalating our pursuit of the person may lead to disappointment down the road. It is so important for the candidate and the team to be excited about their onboarding. It is also important to periodically check in to ensure their experience is consistent with what they expected after onboarding. If their experience is misaligned, go back to asking questions about what would make it better.
It is always constructive to consider that a prospective employee is interviewing your company every bit as much as the company is interviewing them. When both parties agree their employment is mutually beneficial, you are on the right track.
Ben Wilhelm, DBA, MSOD is EVP/COO of McFarland Construction, a commercial construction firm in Charlotte, NC, and Managing Partner of Unscripted, LLC, an executive coaching and leadership consulting practice. Ben is also adjunct instructor in the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, and serves on the board of a privately held employee-owned company.
