Why goal setting should be a key part of your company culture

We hear about company culture quite a bit. Open concept offices, flexible hours, on-site gyms and a casual dress code. These influence a culture, but at the end of the day, how are we truly defining company culture?
A culture is the values and practices shared by the members that make up the culture. Company culture is the values and practices shared by the members, or employees, of a company. When we’re speaking about values, or as some organizations refer to them – core values, it’s important to remember that these values are the key to shaping the culture of a company. When a company knows exactly what their values are, their culture is defined, and the organization is in a position to clearly outline their goals.

Why is this important? A company without clearly defined goals has no destination in mind. Rather, the individuals or small groups that make up the company each have their own goals, but aren’t sure whether or not they align with one another on their way to achieving the larger over-arching goals of the company. This is a dangerous place for an organization to be in, as they have no idea where they’re headed.

How to Hook Good Applicants with Strong Employment Branding

Building a strong brand presence should be more than just a focus for the marketing team. Creating a positive “employment brand” as defined here is an important component when it comes to recruitment. Companies like Google and Salesforce have reputations for being great places to work – from their creative and collaborative work environments to excellent perks, like Google’s free cafeteria for employees. When a company has a reputation for being an awesome place to work, applicants come flocking. As we all know, securing the best applicants is challenging in such a competitive market these days.  Applicants will reference social media, online reviews and will weigh the benefits that a company offers. Get applicants excited about working for you! A strong employment brand can be the extra factor that makes an applicant come work for your organization.

Why Good Communication with Job Applicants is so Important

Put yourself in an applicant’s shoes. When they apply for a job at your organization what is their experience? Do they receive an acknowledgement that their application has been received? Will they be contacted even if they’re not a good fit or when they fail at a step in the recruiting workflow? Stephen Bruce, PhD/PHR, in an article for HR Daily Advisor explains that, “More than half of employers (52%) respond to less than half of the candidates who apply. What these employers may not realize, however, is that not only do most candidates expect an automated reply that acknowledges their application, the majority (84%) also expect a personal email response, and 52% anticipate a phone call.”