Unique Hiring Practices Driving Business Culture Change
If you manage employees, your behavior helps define the business culture of your company. Business culture refers to the behavior and values of managers, supervisors and employees, so the example you set could change the way you do business. Some companies now use unique hiring practices to create positive culture change within their organizations. Learning about these hiring practices may help you find more employees who fit in with your business culture.
Hire Well and Change Your Corporate Culture
Every employee you hire affects your business culture as well as the amount of money you bring in each year. Using unique hiring practices can help you find employees who will thrive while working for your company. If you desire a culture change within your organization, you set the parameters for this change with every hire you make. Consider revising your standard job application form so that applicants have to provide more than just their names, work histories and references. Include open-ended questions that solicit detailed feedback from applicants.
If you are trying to revamp your business culture, you should also consider changing the way you screen potential employees. The traditional process involves screening applications and then selecting candidates for one-on-one interviews. These interviews do not always help you find the best candidates the first time you advertise an opening. Your new screening process could include teambuilding activities, panel interviews, role-playing sessions or activities designed to test each candidate's creativity. Pick activities that will help you determine how well each candidate would fit in with your business culture. Refining this process can help you reduce the amount of time it takes to fill open positions, increasing your productivity as a manager.
Innovate the Way You Hire
If your business is part of the tech industry, consider making technology a part of your new hiring practices. You will not be able to create organizational culture change if you do not ensure that new hires understand the tech focus of your company. Consider asking candidates to perform technical tasks to demonstrate their expertise. This will give you the opportunity to evaluate their skills objectively. If you are worried about interview bias, you can even ask one of your employees to assign each candidate a unique identifying code. When you review the results, you will not know which candidate completed each task. This will help you stay objective when providing feedback.
Cost of Updating Your Culture
The cost of creating organizational culture change depends on how much you need to change your hiring practices to align them with your business culture. If you just need to make a few tweaks to your application, you will only have to pay for the cost of having a new form designed and printed. If you need to completely change the way you hire people, you may need to invest in seminars or books on developing hiring practices. Books may cost as little as a few dollars, while seminars and workshops may cost several thousand dollars when you factor in travel time, transportation costs and event registration fees.
Although changing your hiring practices can help you change your business culture, there are some potential pitfalls. Changing your business culture involves changing the behavior and attitudes of your current employees, which may be a difficult task.
Changing your hiring practices can definitely help you change your business culture, but you must be aware of potential pitfalls and costs. Start by examining your current practices and determining where they need to be improved. Then design hiring activities that will help you find employees who will fit in with your business culture. Always remember attempting to change the culture of your organization will require patience and perseverance for optimal success.