Culture – why it’s so important to get it right

As we assist with the introduction of executive talent across the commodities industry, from traders through to accountants, we find an employer’s culture is an increasingly important focus for professionals across all experience levels. Individuals are significantly more likely today to shape their career search based on the recommendations of friends or colleagues, and it is therefore vital that employers understand what the market perception of their business might be, and how they can better meet the expectations of their target demographic.

Culture is a big word that means different things to different people, but in its broadest form it is now the most common measure used by professionals to describe whether a company operates with the kind of environment in which they would like to work. In this way, culture is intrinsically linked to reputation, and so the communication of key messages into the market becomes a critical tool for influencing perceptions.

Whether individuals are focused on a businesses trading strategy, the importance it attaches to corporate social responsibility and diversity, how it interacts with its local community, or even how it approaches flexible working, these are increasingly the type of issues that make the difference between a candidate deciding to join a firm, or not.

There is also growing evidence of a link between productivity, culture and diversity, so setting the right environment can act both as an attraction for new talent, and as an effective way to drive performance within the business. Encouraging people to believe in a common strategy and vision, and paying positive attention to employees, has a great deal to do with boosting productivity.

It can be challenging for businesses to put into words what constitutes their workplace culture, and even more challenging for them to communicate those messages to the market. This is where closely aligning with a resourcing partner can make a significant difference, because when a company chooses an organisation with an established network that is willing to invest the time and resources into representing their interests, then that partner can act as an extension of the organisation and delicately assist in communicating the desired image.

We are not suggesting that culture is now always the primary driver for candidates, but it is often the deciding factor, should candidates be choosing between two jobs. We frequently witness candidates reject employment offers after lengthy interview processes, which afford them time to engage with friends and colleagues as a sense-check and not been happy with what they were informed.

As a result, the importance of a company’s reputation has never been greater, and market messaging has a big role to play in both recruitment and retention. That’s why we believe in entering into long-term partnerships with our clients, and why we take time to advise those we work with on external perceptions and reputation.

That way we can work together to address any misconceptions during the interview process, and talk confidently about the culture in a way that can really boost the effectiveness of the entire recruitment process.