Why Workplace Culture Matters in Recruiting and Retaining Talent

Understand the importance of workplace culture for your current employees and potential hires. Our regional managing director, Nigel Heap, explains how this hard-to-define element remains a big reason why workers choose to stay or go. 

Workplace Culture: Key Insights

Workplace culture is becoming increasingly important in attracting and retaining quality professionals. The following article explores:

• What we mean by workplace ‘culture’ and how to define it for your business.
• The influences that shape culture in the workplace.
• The power of positive culture in recruitment, and how to showcase your culture within the interview process.
• How honesty and collaboration leads to a better understanding of what workers really want.

Developing a workplace culture: Background

The competition to recruit the best talent is high. What’s more, in the wake of the pandemic, it’s clear that many employees are dissatisfied with their current roles. Yet, few companies are paying enough attention to conveying the right image, or developing a culture which ensures that employees stick around.

Our 2022 report on ‘What Workers Want’ makes clear that, though pay remains the single most important factor in career decisions, other elements are increasingly important. The survey of over 13,650 workers found that culture is the second most important factor in a professional’s choice to stay in their role, or accept a new offer. Furthermore, a staggering 62% of professionals stated that they would take a pay cut to work for an organisation that offers a better cultural fit.

This leads to a pair of questions: what kind of culture are workers looking for, and how can employers deliver on that promise?

Employees are seeking a diverse and engaging workplace culture.

How can you define a positive workplace culture?

The complexity of defining ‘culture’ may be one reason that so many companies shy away from addressing the issue. It is essential to get a coherent grasp of what a positive culture means for your organisation, and to recognise what a more engaged workforce could offer. 

One of my first steps when I became MD of our UK & Ireland business was to appoint a People & Culture Director. Assigning someone to devote time and expertise to the subject signalled to our business that we are taking the question of culture seriously, and that we are investing in it. 

What influences workplace culture?

Company culture is hard to pin down. It involves so many intangibles and disparate elements, from managerial approach to work/life balance, and even the design of the workplace. However, we can look to some key aspects of the organisation as real drivers of culture. These include:

• Leadership
• Management
• Practices
• Policies
• Mission and values
• Environment
• Communication

Many companies focus on the physical environment first. There are countless examples of bars, restaurants, pool tables – even office go-karts – hoping to attract staff into the workplace. All of this can make work a more appealing place to be, but this strategy will soon fall flat if there isn’t substance and real leadership behind it.

How can culture support recruitment?

I am very firmly of the opinion that you can’t have a successful and sustainable recruitment strategy with a negative culture. Not only do companies need to make positivity an internal priority, they also need to make sure that they are promoting it to prospective candidates. 

The interview process is an opportunity to showcase your workplace culture. Be prepared for effective discussion on your culture. Offer insight into what it is truly like to work in your organisation and what is expected of employees. If appropriate, provide an opportunity for the candidate to meet the team, ask questions, and get a sense of the authentic culture on offer.  

Remember: honesty helps create the best policy

At Hays, we promote an open and honest culture. For this reason, we actively encourage our employees to contribute to review sites like Glassdoor. We were identified as the Top Recruiter in Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work Awards 2017 and we were ranked number five out of the top 50 employers, alongside groundbreaking multinationals like Google and Microsoft. There is no greater accolade than your own staff’s positive feedback. Winning the award remains one of the proudest moments of my career.

By consulting your employees, you can gain a far deeper understanding of the strengths and gaps in your business’s culture. It could help refine your strategy and differentiate you in a competitive hiring market.  Remember, though, to always ask yourself the key questions: as a leader, are you proud of your workplace culture?

Workplace culture: next steps?

Workplace culture and recruitment go hand-in-hand. Our recruitment experts have compiled comprehensive research about what prospective employees really want. 

Attend one of our webinars to find out more about the Hays What Workers Want Report 2022.

For more information or to discuss your employment needs, please contact your local consultant.