There’s something deeply ingrained in each of us that craves a certain kind of interaction. And it occurred to me, recently, as I contemplated the importance of company culture, that it’s not unlike a recent experience I had with my puppy.
At a little over a year old, my loveable, 90-pound pooch Samson was a sweet dog who loved nothing more than to prove his love by being bad. I believe his thinking went something like this: “New shoes … she’ll love me more if I give them ‘speed holes.’ Awesome! This walk is getting boring … I’m gonna kick it up a notch ... yup, she seems happy skidding across the sidewalk behind me.” It was endearing in the short term, but to be happy long-term, I needed professional help.
I sent Samson away for about a month of training. When he returned to me, I barely recognized him. I said, “Sit” and he sat. I told him, “Off!” and he complied. Overall, the transformation was amazing. But I was told that there was one habit that couldn’t be broken: his insatiable love of food. People food, to be specific. To this day, if I make the mistake of leaving a loaf of bread or a box of take-out chicken within his reach, I know what to expect.
How to Foster a Culture at Work
Fostering a great work culture is very similar to my dog’s penchant for people food – it’s not something that can be trained for and not something that is readily adaptable. We can hire for talent and hone skills, but an employee with poor cultural fit will have a difficult time finding joy in an environment that runs contradictory to his or her own fundamental wiring. The company culture within your organization is important – it’s the mesh that binds your various groups together and helps drive organizational changes when needed. Here are some ideas to consider to foster your company culture when bringing in ‘new blood.’
Have clarity. You have to know and understand the culture within the organization for which you’re hiring. But you need to be able to go a step further: you must be able to clearly articulate this vision and values of your company when talking with candidates. Culture is not always easily defined, so make sure you’ve done your homework and all those involved in the hiring process are on board and communicating clearly during interviews. To make it easier, consider your organization’s values and define what those are in terms of behavior. If your organization is built on working as a team, identify what that looks like. It’s one thing to be able to say “Yes, I’m a team player,” but the picture becomes much clearer if a candidate hears that camaraderie extends to things like staying late to ensure colleagues get a project completed in time.
Prove it. Sure, you may understand what you’re looking for in a candidate, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion. There are many different cultural indicator tests available. Aside from providing some additional guidance around a candidate’s cultural fit, most of these assessments are conducted in a manner that helps prevent ‘false positives.’ Additionally, there are many census-style surveys your organization could take part in that could give even greater clarity to your culture and how well this is represented within your stated values and mission.
Maintain a compass. Culture isn’t something that swings and alters in a short period of time – it’s part of your organization’s core. There are times where a cultural shift is necessary in order to meet a future vision. I’ve always liked the analogy that shifting cultural change is similar to changing the trajectory of a large ocean liner – you don’t simply yank on the wheel, but rather gradually adjust course until your bearings are reset. Whether your company’s culture is stable or evolving, understanding what the end goal is will help you to bring in new talent that fits your organization’s vision.
Placing the next great employee into an environment where they simply do not fit is a bad situation for everyone. Not only will the employee be unhappy, you’re likely putting yourself in a situation where the long, oftentimes exhausting search for the right candidate will need to be reopened. As you meet, interview and assess potential employees, make sure that you’re doing all that is necessary to foster the desired culture. Jack Welch once said, “Culture drives great results.”
Put your recruiting plan into high gear by pursuing great fits for culture! Because while you don’t want the tail wagging the dog, you can teach a dog new tricks. And if those dog-themed idioms aren’t crystal clear, just remember that it’s best to invest in finding great cultural fits to fill open positions up front (so the dog wags the tail, obviously), and well-adjusted, right-fit new hires will learn lots of new tricks right out of the gates.
Read more of Michelle’s writing on the ResumeEdge Blog, here.
