Your recruitment advertising campaigns are attracting candidates with all the right skills – great!
However, what happens when you invite candidates in for an interview and they’re not a good cultural fit?
Company culture is incredibly important, especially within a small business, and ensuring that a new hire matches your organisation’s core values is vital.
So, how can you attract candidates who are going to thrive in your environment and (hopefully) stay with your business for a long period of time?
Let’s start at the very beginning of the candidate attraction process – your job advertisement.
Taking the time to craft an effective job advert is key, not only to attract a large quantity of candidates but to also grab the attention of the right candidates.
And it’s not just about finding people with the right skill-set; a good culture fit is important in order to maximise employee engagement, satisfaction and retention. After all, the last thing you want is for your new starter to leave due to a clash of values.
So, if you’re struggling to effectively communicate your company culture in your recruitment advertising campaigns, look no further.
Here are five tips to help you along your way:
1. Get the basics in
What kind of environment do you offer? Is it informal, corporate, fast-paced or relaxed? Do you promote team working or do you encourage your employees to thrive individually?
Different candidates will work well in different environments so it’s important to convey what your office is like within your job advert.
You don’t have to make a big deal of it. By inserting phrases such as “Within a fast-paced and exciting environment” or “Joining our relaxed, friendly offices” candidates are able to get the basic idea of what your business is like and will self-filter themselves accordingly.
Other useful information that you might want to consider adding to your job adverts are details such as team size, office layout (open plan or closed) and the kind of people they’ll be working with on a day-to-day basis.
2. Use the language of your company
Your brand should be reflected in all of your communications, including how you address your candidates in your job adverts.
If your culture is corporate, use more formal language. Likewise, if your culture is relaxed and laid back, don’t be afraid to use more colloquial language. The main thing to bear in mind is to keep this language consistent throughout your communications to ensure that a seamless candidate experience is delivered at all times.
3. Include details
What really sets your business apart from its competitors? Does your office have a ping pong table and a fully stocked drinks fridge? Or maybe you offer a fantastic benefits scheme, pride yourself on your excellent employee retention levels or regularly organise team outings and social events.
Always put this information in adverts – don’t be afraid to sound like you’re bragging. The recruitment process isn’t just about candidates selling themselves, you also need to sell your company to candidates.
4. Ensure that your values shine through
Think about the core values of your business – what’s important to you? Is it passion, integrity, innovation, honesty, trust…? Consider these qualities and make sure that they shine through in your job advert.
For example, if you are focused on trust and honesty, don’t withhold important details about the role in the advert – this completely goes against everything that your business stands for and is not representative of you as a company.
Likewise, if one of your core values is innovation, talk about some of the cool things that you’ve achieved.
5. Talk about progression and growth
Don’t just think about your corporate brand values – consider your employer brand too. What do you offer as an employer? Do you invest in your employees? Are you committed to their training and development? If employees will be given a chance to grow and progress within your business, speak about it in the advert.
Looking for some more help with your recruitment advertising? Request a quote.
