How Does Company Culture Impact Hiring?

Posted By: John Sweney on March 11, 2022

The most successful organizations have a clearly defined “company culture” that reflects their brand and gives them a true north when it comes to how people within the organization treat each other. When these organizations get their culture right, they work diligently to preserve it while allowing employees to grow.

company culture team

Here’s how organizations’ cultures affect who they hire and why:

What Is Company Culture?

The term “company culture” is used to describe a combination of values, people, vision, and work ethic that impact the work environment. It’s a culmination of the norms, practices, and expectations shared among employees and how they affect the organization.

Another way of describing company culture is viewing it as the organization’s “personality.” It’s your company’s brand that determines the way the people in the company act both with each other and those outside the company. Company culture also includes how comfortable employees feel expressing their opinions or interacting with supervisors/colleagues and their level of interest in any and all activities happening at the workplace.

How Does Company Culture Impact Employee Recruiting?

So, how does company culture fit into the recruitment process? According to surveys, an organization’s culture shapes potential applicants’ willingness and desire to join the company. The more appealing the company culture is to potential candidates, the more likely they are to apply for positions at the organization and accept offers.

Not only is an appealing company culture a motivating factor for candidates, but in many cases, it’s also the biggest reason for them to be employed at the organization. Many applicants are willing to accept lower salary packages or fewer benefits as compared with their previous workplaces if the company culture is a great fit with their own personality.

Company culture is also used as a marketing tool by employers and recruiters. As more and more startups and businesses emphasize flexibility and diversity, company culture is used as a selling point by organizations to attract recruits. From ergonomic and comfortable workspaces to team activities and events, organizations use company culture to project a positive image to their employees and potential candidates.

Furthermore, company culture impacts employee retention and performance. Employees are more likely to enjoy their work and be more productive if they’re exposed to a positive company culture. This also reduces the turnover rate and encourages employees to stick around, saving organizations the hassle of recruiting new employees.

employees hanging out together

How to Introduce Company Culture during Recruitment

If you’ve advertised your company culture during the marketing process, you need to show applicants what you’re talking about.

Expect applicants to ask questions related to your company’s team engagement initiatives, core values and priorities, how you help implement work-life balance, and other aspects that would give them insight into your company culture. It’s also recommended that you offer information regarding these on your company’s website and social media pages as well as share details with candidates yourself.

It also helps to re-assess your own company culture once in a while; ask your current employees to describe the company culture in their own words. You may find new cultural strengths, new cultural shortcomings, and great ideas for advancing the culture overall.

Our team at Brookwoods Group helps organizations find the right-fit people based on their company culture. As a top recruiting firm in Austin, we help organizations find candidates who share the same values, whether it’s for contract or direct hire positions.

Get in touch with our executive staffing agency in San Antonio today for more details on how we can help you present your company culture during your recruiting process.