It’s a term that is used all of the time in the recruiting world. Anyone looking for a job or hiring for a position has had to deal with the same question… “What is the corporate culture like?” But what does this really mean? Are people talking about the size of the company, the personalities of the different employees, the leadership hierarchy, company benefits, or all of the above? This can be a very important part of the hiring process for both parties involved, and is often one of the more overlooked components when either side is making a final decision regarding employment.

From the employer perspective, finding a person that fits into the established organizational culture is imperative to ensure your long-term success. Understanding your own company and what type of environment you are trying to cultivate is the first step in the process. According to a Harvard Business Review article, there are six components of a great corporate culture: Vision, Values, Practices, People, Company Narrative, and Physical Workplace. Having clear answers to these questions will help any employer comb through candidates to figure out who is most likely to mesh well into the existing environment.

From the employee perspective, the reasons why corporate culture should be at the top of your consideration of any prospective employer are more or less the same. The difference is in the mindset. One must consider their own likes and dislikes of the various companies for which they have worked. The points to think about can include desired company size, leadership hierarchy, public vs. private ownership, geographic location, etc. There are pros and cons to just about any way to set up a company, and the trick is to find one that you as an employee are going to feel comfortable in, thus enabling the best chance to maintain high personal morale and motivation levels.

Regardless of what the answers to these questions are, this is an important piece to consider in any talent search. We would argue that culture is more important than financial compensation, as increased “comp” can be exciting in the short term but doesn’t necessarily ensure long term employee satisfaction with the position. And it’s not that there is one right way to build a corporate culture. Quite the opposite in fact. Companies with very different environments have found all sorts of success by making sure that the people that they onboard are going to fit into the established environment. This is one of the key areas where the team at Anderson|Biro can help. A large part of our job as an executive recruiting firm is to understand our client’s corporate culture, and make sure that the candidates we recommend for any given position are going to fit in with that vision and ecosystem.

If you have any questions, please feel free to visit our website www.andersonbiro.com and one of our team members would be happy to hear your thoughts.