When it comes to attracting, hiring and retaining great people for your company, core values are key. Communicating your core values gets the right people in the right positions to help you achieve your vision. That’s because these values define the characteristics that you want every single person in the company to share so you can build the culture you want in your company.
I recommend business owners focus on infusing core values into two specific areas in the hiring process:
- Attracting Talent. Marketing your company’s values to attract applicants that want to work in a culture like yours.
- Evaluating Candidates. Confirming that the applicants share and exhibit your core values.
We all know it’s getting harder and harder to attract and build a pipeline of high-quality candidates. So, to attract the right people to your team, consider showcasing your values when marketing open positions. Here’s the blueprint to do just that.
Highlight Your Values
Create a standard blurb highlighting your values. Use it in every job posting on the Careers page of your website, and in your employer profile pages on job sites.
Here’s an example:
The culture at Acme Corporation is built on our shared core values of Positive collaboration, Proactive Problem-Solving, and Relentless Curiosity. Positive collaboration means that we work together and make decisions for the greater good with open, honest, and respectful communication. Proactive Problem-Solving means that we come to the table with ideas, recommendations, and solutions instead of sitting back and waiting for others to raise an issue or fix a problem for us. Relentless Curiosity means that we continually strive to improve, learn, and grow by asking questions, seeking knowledge, and stretching beyond our comfort zone.
We hire, fire, review, reward, and recognize our teammates based on these characteristics, so it’s important that you share these values in order to be part of our team.
Create a video highlighting your core values and culture. Use it on your Careers or About Us page to showcase your leaders and team members talking about how your core values define your culture.
Deliver your Core Values Speech
Make sure your hiring managers know your Core Values Speech and can deliver it passionately to candidates to attract the right people, and deter people who don’t share them.
Create an Evaluation
When it comes to evaluating candidates, create a standard set of questions for all of your hiring managers to use to evaluate shared values.
In the example above, Acme Corporation is looking for people who share the core value of Relentlessly Curious. They might ask candidates, “Tell me about three new skills you’ve taught yourself in the last year.”
Often having someone in the leadership team do the final interview and clearly state the importance of shared values can be effective in setting expectations for new hires.
“If you don’t share these core values, you’re not going to make it here. This is our culture – if you don’t think you’ll fit, it probably won’t work out in the long run. Remember, as much as we are interviewing you, you should be interviewing us”.
Of course, there are many other great ways to integrate core values into your hiring process. Start with these fundamentals, and then experiment until you find what works best for you and your company.
Retaining Great People
The single most important hurdle to overcome is retaining the great talent you already have. When great people leave, chaos ensues. Gaping holes in departments prevents leaders from getting their projects completed. Morale drops due to burnout. Staff on your leadership teams end up doing the work of two people – and neither of the jobs get done very well.
Workforces Changes
In a recent Gallup poll, 48% of those currently employed are actively looking for their next job. Contrary to popular belief, people aren’t leaving their jobs because of money. People are leaving because they are not engaged at work. They aren’t valued. They don’t feel a sense of belonging. They don’t have a sense of purpose. They don’t have any potential for advancement. And last, but certainly not least, they don’t have a good relationship with their bosses.
How EOS can Help
The Entrepreneurial Operating System® is designed to help you win this battle. When you are actively working on the People Component™, you understand that without great people, you can’t achieve your company’s Vision. Your Core Values are used daily to drive a positive culture. Your compelling Core Focus™ informs the overriding purpose of the company – the reason you exist. Your 10-Year Target™ challenges and inspires everyone to meet the company’s purpose. With EOS, you’ve actually got the thing that job candidates are looking for…you just need to market it effectively.
At the end of the day, using your core values when attracting, hiring and retaining great talent will mold great behavior and help you get a leg up on your competition. So tell the world what makes your company different and remain focused on your employees. Remember, “people don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad bosses.”
Want to learn more?
Be sure to attend our FREE upcoming workshop on Tuesday July 26th from 6-8pm here at The Biz Foundry!
