Although, salary has a pull on what company employees decide to work for, Glassdoor has recently discovered that a company’s mission and culture have a higher appeal than salary and perks for those in the work force today. You can find the article below that explains what aspects of culture and a company’s mission current job seekers are looking for.
When it comes to culture and a strong mission, IGNW has put a lot of focus on our culture and making sure that our employees feel like they have a place of work that they enjoy coming to every morning. If you’d like to #MakeTheSwitch, check out our jobs page on our website ignw.io.
While high salaries and unique perks may have once been the keys to attracting top talent, a new survey from Glassdoor shows that a company’s mission and culture matter most to job seekers.
Glassdoor’s Mission & Culture Survey 2019 found that over 77% of adults across four countries (the United States, UK, France, Germany) would consider a company’s culture before applying for a job there, and 79% would consider a company’s mission and purpose before applying. Furthermore, over half of the 5000 respondents said that company culture is more important than salary when it comes to job satisfaction.
“Across the countries we surveyed, it’s clear that job seekers are seeking more meaningful workplace experiences,” said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor President and COO. “Job seekers want to be paid fairly but they too want to work for a company whose values align with their own and whose mission they can fully get behind.”
Interestingly enough, culture matters even more to millennials and younger adults. Our survey found that in the U.S. and UK, millennials are more likely to prioritize culture above salary. Plus, 73% of all adults surveyed would not apply to a company unless its values aligned with their own personal values.
You may be asking yourself and your HR colleagues, “Are we investing in our mission and culture as much as we should?” In today’s tight job market, corporate culture is paramount to recruiting the best candidates.
Luckily, Glassdoor is here to help.
What Aspects of Company Culture Matter Most to Job Seekers
Culture is on employees’ minds, and it drives their relationships with their employers. In fact, 96 percent of Glassdoor reviews that MIT recently sampled discuss some element of culture. This helped researchers isolate the Big Nine.
The Big Nine are those aspects of culture that matter most in today’s job market. Here’s how they break out:
Agility: Agile companies are nimble, flexible and quick to seize opportunities. Internet and management consulting companies are leading industries when it comes to this value. Uber is a top-notch practitioner of this corporate value.
Collaboration: When companies exercise this value, their employees are cohesive and productive, within their group and across teams. Fast food and retail apparel are some industries that have this down to a science; HP is a standout.
Customer: The customers’ needs are central, for businesses that radiate this value. The company prides itself on listening to customers and creating value for them. Pharma & biotech and Medical devices are leading industries, while Chick Fil A is a distinguished player.
Diversity: Bring yourself, because there’s a place for everyone in these inclusive cultures. Diversified financial services and consumer goods are some top industries when it comes to cultivating diverse cultures, and TD Bank is a leader.
Execution: Companies implement this value by fostering behaviors like taking personal accountability for results, delivering on commitments, prioritizing the activities that matter most, and adhering to process discipline. Toyota is a high performer when it comes to execution.
Innovation: Companies that value and fuel creativity and experimentation and are eager to implement new ideas exhibit this value. Communications equipment and enterprise software are lead industries when it comes to innovation, and SpaceX is a standout.
Integrity: Staff members across the board, from entry-level professionals to company leaders, maintain a code of honesty and ethics that consistently inform their actions. Industrial conglomerates and electrical equipment companies are leading industries when it comes to integrity, and Charles Schwab is top notch.
Performance: The company recognizes performance and rewards results through compensation, recognition and promotion, and it handles underperforming employees tactfully and strategically. The insurance and semi-conductor industries stand out when it comes to performance, and Goldman Sachs is a leader.
Respect: Employees, managers and leaders exercise consideration and courtesy for each other. They treat one another with dignity, and they take one another’s perspectives seriously. Consumer goods and enterprise software are high performers when it comes to this value and SAP is a standout.
How to Hire Employees Who Value Culture
Hiring new employees who not only fit your culture, but also enhance it, can be tricky. A great way to narrow down job candidates is to ask interview questions that test their emotional IQ and give you insight into whether or not the candidate reflects your core values.
Here are some of the interview questions CHG Healthcare uses in their hiring process to help them determine if a job candidate shares our belief system:
Putting people first. CHG’s defining core value is putting people first. That means they consider the thoughts and feelings of others before acting and take care of each other and our communities. To find out if people share this belief CHG asks them these types of questions:
Tell me about a time when you helped a coworker or direct report improve or be more successful.
Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with a coworker. How did you handle it? What were the results?
Tell me about a time when you put a coworker or the interest of the company before yourself. Why did you do it?
Integrity and ethics. No matter how good people are at their jobs, if they can’t do business the right way, CHG says they’ll pass. Here are some of the questions they ask to make sure job candidates will act ethically:
Tell me about a time you stood up for something you believed in.
Tell me about a time when you did not agree with something you were asked to do. How did you handle it?
Who are your role models and why?
Quality and professionalism. To ensure candidates provide patients with the highest quality of care, CHG looks for job candidates that take accountability for their actions and follow through on their commitments. Here are some of the questions that help them determine if candidates have this quality:
In your last position, how was quality measured?
How do you measure your true success at work?
Describe when you worked the hardest and felt the greatest sense of accomplishment.
Continuous improvement and growth. To help them determine if a job candidate will respond positively to feedback and actively seek ways to improve, CHG asks these questions:
What are the goals you’ve set for yourself this year? How have your goals changed from last year?
Tell me about a time you had to change your mind or way of doing things in order to improve.
Tell me about a time you received critical feedback from a supervisor. How did you make improvements and what was the result?
It’s up to you to decide what you want your culture to be, but your employees play a crucial role in its success and growth. Hiring a job candidate without screening for culture could lead to lower engagement and job dissatisfaction of both the employee and his or her teammates, often leading to increased employee turnover.