Finding the right job requires a lot of effort. Searching the job boards and networking certainly are not on your list of favorite things to do. Once you find a job, you have to research things like salary and benefits. What you really want to know is whether you’ll fit in with employees who work there, and this is when job seekers start to get discouraged. Where can you find out about a company’s culture? The good news is that there are employers who are listening to what job seekers want and who have begun taking steps to provide you with more information about life as an employee.
[See: 10 Things New Grads Can Do Right Now to Get a Job.]
Cultural fit is most important. You spoke and employers have finally begun to listen. Workers of all ages want to know more about what it is like to work for a new company. According to Harvard Business Review’s analysis of a Gallup survey of 1,700 U.S. workers, employees ranked opportunities to learn and grow and quality of management as the top considerations for taking a new job, above salary and benefits.
Employers are attempting to connect with candidates in new and nontraditional ways, such as storytelling videos. “Rather than telling candidates what it’s like to work there, companies are showing them by finding new ways to share the employee experience,” wrote recruiting and talent strategies expert, Lars Schmidt, in a recent Forbes article.
In Schmidt’s article, he highlights videos by the consulting firm, KPMG and senior home care company, Nurse Next Door, for their ability to take recruiting to the next level by incorporating the concept of storytelling. These videos go beyond “a day in the life” of an employee and instead address the bigger impact the company and role have on society.
[See: 8 Things That Are More Productive Than Staring at a Job Board.]
Who’s doing more to engage potential employees? Kimberly-Clark, known for consumer products like Kleenex, launched an online quiz to help prospective employees learn what kind of thinkers they are and what types of jobs they’d best fit. Candidates also learn about the culture and values of the company and the diversity of jobs. The “Welcome Original Thinkers” quiz takes you through nine quick questions to assess the type of thinker you are and then shows a listing of jobs you may be interested in. For example, are you “The Dreamer,” “The Analyzer” or one of the other six types of thinkers? You can also view the profile of a featured employee with the same thinker type. Kimberly-Clark’s campaign is designed to create a useful experience, especially for new graduates or early careerists looking for new jobs, and increase its brand recognition.
LinkedIn is doing its part, too. LinkedIn announced it will be rolling out new paid features for employers’ career pages. LinkedIn explains in their announcement that “[a]ccording to the 2016 Talent Trends Report, the number one roadblock to applying to a job is not knowing what it’s like to work at the company. And 60 percent of candidates say that, first and foremost, they want to know about the company culture and values.” Employers who pay for enhanced career pages can create a new tab called “Life” which can include photos and articles written by employees about life at the company. And even more good news is that job postings will have a section called “Meet the team” which allows you to view the profiles of employees similar to you, including their education, previous companies and skills.
[See: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job Already.]
What should job seekers know and do? If you are in the market for a new job, don’t search the job boards just yet. Take a few minutes and figure out what you want out of your next job. If you say rewarding work is important to you, then define what that means to you and what a company would need to show to prove its culture and values. For example, do you value a company that offers training or do you want time to support community activities? Once you know what proof you are looking for, it will be easier for you to identify a company that is doing the right types of things. Now you are ready to investigate the company’s career page and LinkedIn company profile. The information provided can help you assess the culture and learn more about employees who work there.
And if you still want to learn more, see which social networks the company lists on their career page or website and look at those profiles. Take note of what information is being shared and don’t be afraid to re-share, like or comment on status updates. A great advantage of social media over email is the potential to engage in conversation with people who work for a company you are interested in.
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Why Employers Are Putting Company Culture First originally appeared on usnews.com
