Better Office Culture Brings Better Candidates

Top companies, such as Google, that receive recognition for their positive, employee-friendly office culture also attract some of the best job candidates. Though no company accepts résumés from those that do not fit the desired profile, studies show companies that engage employees fully have employees who are more productive. Defining a better office environment and candidate pool encourages the hiring of employees who add to company success.

A leadership professional and coach in Forbes Magazine explains that 89 percent of new hires who leave within 18 months do so because of attitudes that run contrary to company culture. Hires that fit the office culture are open to coaching and have a higher sense of motivation. The importance of matching personality to the environment of the company is even more important than technical skills to succeed in a job. A large prospective pool exists with qualified candidates, citing that only 11 percent of those 20,000 new hires left because of skill deficits. The way in which individuals in a company interact defines success for many hires.

There is a difference between attracting candidates to an office culture and hiring candidates who fit the current culture, and human resource managers must pay attention to both aspects. One involves attention to the climate of the company and the experiences of individual employees to market the company as a great place to work. This comes through creating an open dialogue about the company, offering benefits, holding employees accountable for breaking company policy and showing genuine employee appreciation. Just as companies provide incentives for customer retention, employers that set examples of a positive company culture attract better candidates. Social media is also a great way to spread the word about a great office culture.

Hiring candidates that fit the office culture is imperative, especially as both employers and employees set the culture. Human resources managers start to assess candidate fit in the interview. Asking questions that enable candidates to outline their ideal work environment is a subtle way to assess candidate fit without posing leading questions. Hiring managers also need to encourage candidates to explore the company's culture. Prospective employers that send social media links or use employees outside of the human resources department to speak to candidates at job fairs empower candidates to determine their own level of fit.

Companies must remember that each new hire has the potential to make or break the office culture. Employers set the way employees interact, but implementation of set procedures often varies. Companies often invest money training new hires who leave because they did not work well within the current office environment. A better company culture appeals to strong candidates, but the hardest work is hiring the right candidates who fit the company.

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