Many companies take pride in their company culture, and many even overemphasize it ad nauseum. This may come off has non-genuine or even phony. A new employee may have been sold on the benefits and EVPs of the company altogether. But what happens when the perks and shiny newness wear off? If the company culture doesn’t live up to the promise, its retention rate and hiring goals may suffer in the future.
Employees want more authentic work because:
Increased job satisfaction: Authentic work allows employees to use their strengths, skills, and passions, leading to higher job satisfaction and motivation.
Better alignment with personal values: Authentic work gives employees the opportunity to align their work with their personal values and beliefs, creating a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Improved work-life balance: Authentic work often allows employees to have a more flexible schedule and work-life balance, leading to a more positive work environment.
Increased creativity and innovation: Authentic work allows employees to be creative and innovative, leading to increased job satisfaction and higher levels of engagement.
Better mental health: Authentic work can help reduce stress and anxiety by allowing employees to feel more in control of their work and career path.
In short, employees want more authentic work because it leads to a more fulfilling, meaningful, and balanced work experience, which can positively impact their overall well-being and job satisfaction.
Employees want more direction
The millennial generation wants genuine and clear direction. As the employer the company needs to be real and direct about culture. I will highlight 3 ways to make company culture authentic in this post. This will go hand in hand with creating employer branding campaigns, which in turn will help attract and retain talent.
Here’s how Recruiters can make there Work Culture Authentic:
1. Understand Core Values
As company you’ve got the process of selling and product down to a tee. But when it comes to retaining and attracting talent do you have a clear and concise message? It’s a very competitive talent marketing right now. Its important to understand what makes your company special. Is your culture unique or quirky? Key to this would be understanding your employee demographics.Consider doing an employee voice questionnaire. This will give loads of valuable intelligence about your employees and company culture. If you have a mission statement, it would be good to make sure everyone is on board and fully understands its importance. Focus on being direct and honest and don’t try and take a cookie cutter approach. If you’re company is weird – embrace it. Highlight unique and interesting characteristics.
2. Create A Sense Of Accomplishment And Purpose
Employees need a sense of belonging and purpose. Creating a career path for new and existing employees is important. If you want people to stay at your company long term this should be a main focus. Talk with the company’s leadership team and brainstorm ideas. Make sure it’s honest and realistic. An employee can see through the layers and can spot unrealistic expectations. It’s good to highlight a set track for promotions and other internal career opportunities as well.
3. Retention Is Connected To Culture and Environment
If turnover is above 50% that’s a red flag. Of course this depends on the company’s industry. But often, it’s a sign that something needs to drastically change. You can focus on creating training courses, adding better benefits, or changing the company environment. Use the questionnaires and speak to the leadership to fully understand what’s happening in the field. Also, it’s a good idea to look at your competition. What do they offer and why are they attracting talent? Try to closely match those basic benefits. Once you understand these things you can take steps to improve retention.
People want values and promotion opportunities, and in turn this helps with overall retention. Making sure you highlight your uniqueness and genuine attributes will help develop an employer brand and attract talent. You can’t just post and pray anymore. That’s why companies are hiring Sourcers. Recruiters and Sourcers need to have selling points and a positive company image. This will help create a positive culture and environment.
I wrote a book that goes into more details on work culture and employment branding (here)
Recommended Reading:
The Sourcing Function Matters Within Recruiting
How to Send A Text Message Using Email
How are Recruiters and Sourcers Different?
