Is Your Open Role Just Another Job? How to Make Candidates Love Your Culture

Your candidate pool loves your job posting – or else they wouldn’t have applied. But what about the company itself? Are they passionate about your values? Do they think it’s a great environment for them?

Maybe not.

In a survey of medical sales representatives conducted by MedReps, 72 percent of respondents said they were happy at work, yet 47 percent said they might leave their employers for new job opportunities this year. Why? While they love their jobs and the work itself, they’re in search of company cultures they feel passionate about and environments they love.

The job itself is only part of the hiring puzzle. Showcasing your company culture is critical if you hope to find passionate employees and keep them for the long term. If you feel your hiring process is only focused on the positions you’re trying to fill, it’s time to make  a change.

Here are a few ways to sell job seekers on your company culture:

1. Keep Communication Open

Job seekers are applying to multiple jobs at the same time. After a while, the employers all start to sound the same. How do you stand out? You start with constant communication. Keeping communication open reminds candidates who you are and what your company culture is like.

Job seekers value open communication in potential employers. In fact, a staggering 81 percent of employees would rather join a company that values open communication than one that offers some of the other perks that generate buzz, like free food and gym memberships, according to a 2015 survey  from 15Five.

Candidates are looking for open and transparent work environments, but many employers don’t show their greatest efforts in this area. According to a 2015 CareerBuilder survey, just 17 percent of candidates said they were notified when they weren’t selected for a position.

Keep communication open with applicants and let them know where they stand throughout the process. Show candidates that your work environment values open communication, and they’ll be eager to start working for your company.

2. Build Relationships Early

Relationships with bosses and managers set the tone for how employees feel about their work. These relationships have such a huge impact on job satisfaction that 50 percent of adults surveyed by Gallup said they have left a job just to get away from their boss.

The relationship between leadership and employees is on the minds of job seekers. In fact, a LinkedIn survey found that 53 percent of job seekers said the most important part of an interview was talking to their future manager. But this expectation isn’t always met. Sometimes, new hires don’t meet their manager or supervisor until their first day on the job.

Don’t let this happen at your company. Instead, start building relationships between leaders and job seekers early on. Involve leaders in the interview process and in communications with candidates. That way, job seekers can see if they vibe with the manager and if they’re a good fit for the company culture. Candidates want a working environment where they feel support from management. If candidates love the leadership, they’re more likely to take the job.

3. Focus on Flexibility

Many employers focus their discussions with job seekers on salary. Although salary does matter, it’s not everything to candidates. Job seekers want to feel valued by their employers, and they want to find jobs that fit their lifestyles. Flexible employers meet both of those needs.

Flexibility is becoming more and more important to job seekers. In fact, 30 percent of respondents to a FlexJobs survey said they would take a 10 or even 20 percent cut in pay in exchange for flexible work options.

When talking with job seekers, ask about their lifestyles and the arrangements that would work best for them. Discuss the flexible work options you offer and show them how you can be a perfect fit. Offering flexible arrangements shows employees that the company culture is one that values their time, trusts them to complete their work, and understands that work isn’t their entire world. That’s the kind of culture and the kind of company employees love.

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Candidates may want your job, but if they’re not crazy about your company culture, they probably won’t work out in the long run. Show potential employees that you have an awesome culture throughout the hiring process so that they don’t just want the job, but they want to be a part of the company, too.