The Secret to a Standout Candidate Experience? Company Culture.

It’s pretty clear how much company culture affects the employee experience. But it doesn’t stop there. Company culture also influences the customer experience, and just as importantly, the candidate experience. candidate

According to a PWC study, 36% of millennials surveyed said that the organization’s reputation was the most important factor when selecting their current job. That makes it the second most important consideration, nudging out even starting salary. A huge component of this reputation is the company’s culture and employer brand.

Given that information, how do you ensure that you are putting your best culture foot forward to create a memorable candidate experience?

1) Understand your culture.

You can’t sell your culture to candidates unless you know what what differentiates it. Understand your bragging points, and own them. As always, employee feedback is a good starting point. Send a survey to ask employees about makes your company stand out.

Our CultureIQ Survey is also a good place to start, because it allows you to pinpoint your strengths and highlight your overall score!

2) Add your values to your website.

All new hires should believe in and live by your values. The first step to value alignment is informing all candidates of your values from the very beginning. By publishing your values to your website, you are giving everyone the opportunity to assess alignment prior to even applying. Additionally, this simple step helps to communicate your employer brand to the outside world.

3) Highlight company culture as an interview topic. 

Don’t wait for the candidate to ask about company culture. Instead, introduce it up as a key topic, on par with job requirements and responsibilities. Provide materials to help communicate your employer brand, such as a slide deck, photos, or videos of powerful anecdotes. HubSpot’s Culture Code SlideShare is a great example of a fun and informative resource.

4) Demonstrate your culture.

The way you handle the interview process is a reflection of your culture. Everything from email communication with candidates to the questions asked during an interview will send messages to candidates about their potential experience as an employee. Use the interview process as an opportunity to demonstrate what makes your culture stand out. 

This article was originally published in the CultureIQ Blog.

The Secret to a Standout Candidate Experience? Company Culture.