One of the opportunities leaders have to ignite their culture is during the hiring process. For example, when I was asked to turnaround a poor performing unit, I knew I needed more teamwork. One tactic I implemented was to replace empire building leaders with those who valued teamwork and collaboration.
I hired two directors with strong teamwork values and demonstrated experience in this area. I not only brought more teamwork to the leadership team, I also provided more role models for others to better understand the kind of culture that would help us improve the customer experience, increase productivity and deliver a better bottom line.
Here are 10 tips to consider to enhance your culture through new hires:
*Be clear on the culture you need to support the execution of your vision and strategy.
*Have a good awareness of your current culture.
*Prioritize the gaps between your current culture and the even more effective and amazing culture you’re building towards. What behaviours are most important to shift today?
*Look to your culture superstars for candidate referrals.
*When discussing candidate qualifications with your recruiters, include the culture aspects. Not only are you looking for current culture fit, you’re also looking to enrich your culture.
*During the interview process, include questions about the applicant’s values, and the kind of culture they flourish in.
*Take the candidate on a tour of your workplace and let them observe meetings. Allow them to see and experience your culture in action.
*Follow up the tour by asking the candidate how they perceive your organization’s culture and whether it would be a good fit for them.
*Have a frank discussion with your candidate about how you’re looking to enhance your culture and what will they bring to the table that could help you generate this shift.
*Review your on-boarding process and make sure it’s aligned with your culture. Nothing demoralizes a new employee faster than a promise of collaboration and support only to find a trail of bereaucratic processes or being left adrift to figure work out.
You’ve got big plans for your organization this year. Having an engaged and passionate workforce will boost your success. And your new employees can help you ignite your culture!
If you’ve got additional insights and advice about how to enhance your culture through new hires, just hit the reply button, I’d love to hear from you.
