Every organization is an ecosystem of interconnected components that influence its culture. When a company builds a positive, productive environment, the climate must be tended to with intention.

Two opportunities to influence culture are talent acquisition and onboarding new employees. A transparent, consistent approach to hiring and onboarding that reflects your culture leads to a sustainable operation and sets up employees for success from the start.

Create a positive climate.

Many people are familiar with the popular business adage, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This can be interpreted to mean that even with the best ideas, the likelihood of success is limited if your organization isn’t set up to execute effectively. Leaders who invest in cultivating a workplace environment that enables innovation, productivity and tactical execution are best positioned to improve engagement, retention and results.

Renowned psychologist Edgar Schein defined “culture” as the artifacts, espoused values and underlying assumptions that are the fabric of any organization. These pieces are woven together like a tapestry and tell the story of what it’s like to be a part of the community.

While some aspects of culture, such as artifacts and espoused values, are apparent, others, like underlying assumptions, exist beneath the surface. The sooner an employee is exposed to all three, the quicker they will accelerate their contributions to the organization. For example, to acclimate new teammates, leaders can model the way by integrating corporate values into company-wide meetings and celebrating employees who are living the company’s rules of engagement through recognition programs. Managers can also provide valuable day-to-day support with regular check-ins to coach their direct reports and answer their questions, while HR teams can pair new staff members with tenured personnel who serve as culture mentors.

Enhance the prospective employee experience.

As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” A 2019 Glassdoor survey found that 77% of job seekers consider organizational culture as a factor when choosing where to apply. This shows that having a clear and consistent employee value proposition (EVP) is paramount. Your EVP should be related to your organization’s ethos.

Your EVP should inform every point of connection with candidates. From the “careers” page on your website and application process to the autogenerated responses and recruiter calls, these interactions should be seamless. Encourage your human resources and talent acquisition teams to partner with marketing or communications departments to craft the EVP and supporting messaging and materials to ensure everyone is “singing from the same song sheet.” Engage your learning and development professionals as well to train managers in the best practices for interviewing, selection and hiring.

‍

Read full article here