Companies are constantly wondering the qualities that are most important to look for in new employees. Should a company hire prospective employees that have amazing design skills? Should brands focus on finding prospects that have long-term vision and strategy? Should you hire someone that is trustworthy, reliable, and detail-oriented? Every open position in a company is associated with a list of responsibilities and expectations. Likely, you will receive many applicants that check all of the requirements of the position. So what makes one applicant stand out from the next?

In our 20 years of experience, the team at RocketDog has determined that the most important thing to analyze when vetting candidates is the way that they will fit with the culture of the organization. In this article, we will share seven reasons why we believe that brands should hire based on culture.

1. Do You Really Need Another Design Diva?

There are many talented individuals in the candidate pool that have advanced design skills. As a marketing agency, it is important that all employees work well together in order to create cohesive material for the clients. When you hire someone who has strong opinions and definitive techniques, it may be hard to incorporate their talents into the workflow. Although it is important to ensure that a prospective candidate has creative abilities, it is more important to understand that they will be able to respect the other talents that their team presents.

2. Increase Employee Retention

When someone is not satisfied with their position, they will not have a long lifespan at the company. When you are filling a position, it is important that your brand aligns with the goals and objectives that the employee has. If an individual does not feel valued or engaged, they will not have a reason to stick around. When team members are engaged, collaborative, and inspired, they are more likely to continue investing deeper into their roles. As a brand, low turnover rates are valuable. In brands that are known for having high company culture, the turnover rate drops from 48% to 14%. When you have loyal employees, you can save money, increase business, and develop advanced expertise.

3. Your Team Is Your Biggest Asset

Over the last two decades, RocketDog has discovered that our team is our greatest asset. At the end of the day, the employees we have determine the voice of our brand, the quality of our work, and the happiness of our day-to-day work environment. When you have an adaptable team, you can overcome challenges and adjust services based on the needs presented from the marketplace. If your employees are stuck in their ways, they are less likely to adapt to the changes that are occurring. 

4. The Hiring Process Allows You To Deepen Your Brand Personality

As a Brand, there are qualities that you want to be known for. You likely want to be known for offering top-notch services, giving back to the community, and having a diverse team. When you hire new employees, you have the ability to reinforce the qualities that you want to be true about your company. When you hire purely based on talent, you are not reinforcing the characteristics that you value most.

At RocketDog, we value grit, flexibility, and originality. We value when people bring new ideas to the table, show up to social events, and complete their tasks with excellence. In order to create marketing collateral for clients, we must utilize the skill sets of many different employees. In the hiring process, we ask questions that allow us to see different aspects of the applicants personality. This process allows us to determine if an individual will strengthen our team.

5. Allows You To “Win” Top Talent

Employees desire to find a place of employment that they love. People do not want to work with people that they dislike or lack inspiration. At the end of the day, all individuals want to work with people they like in a place where there is opportunity for growth and development. When you create a desirable culture, employees will want to work with you. 46% of job seekers admit that culture is important when choosing a company to apply to. They will want to utilize their expertise to help your Brand excel. When you develop a flourishing culture, top talent will seek out your organization.

6. Helps You Stand Out From The Competition

There are alot of Brands that are fighting for a commitment from top talent. Nowadays, many relevant Brands are offering flexible PTO, office perks, remote options, and employee-paid social events. In order to continue growing and attracting interest, you must develop a culture that people do not want to say no to. As you continue hiring good culture fits, they will reinforce your mission, vision and values.

7. Saves Time and Money

Many issues occur when employees do not get along. Projects are delayed, workflow is interrupted, and human resources are utilized in order to mitigate problems among the staff. When you have a team that works well together, you can trust that they will resolve problems quickly and discover solutions to recurring issues. If you are constantly trying to dissolve disagreements between disgruntled employees, you will lose valuable time. When problems are delayed or postponed, you could miss out on money. Investing in employees can increase their productivity levels by over 8%. When you hire based on culture, you ensure that the staff is capable of working through problems and find solutions.

The Bottom Line

Quality culture is no longer an option for Brands. Culture is a means of survival. If you want to attract the best employees, retain quality staff members, and continue to grow, you must invest in the cohesiveness of the team. Not only will this make your Brand more profitable, it will make your work day more enjoyable. At RocketDog, we have seen massive success because we continue to hire employees that understand our culture and mission.

Over the last decade, companies around the globe have begun prioritizing their company culture as a way to attract and retain top talent. Company culture means different things to different people. By definition, company culture is the overall environment of an organization. This environment encompasses the values, behaviors, and priorities of both the employees and the Brand. Therefore, it is incorrect for businesses to believe that hosting a Christmas party annually or a happy hour weekly will establish a positive company culture. The reality is that culture is the environment that your company upholds on a day to day basis. Culture starts with the top leadership of a company and trickles down through the entire organization. Culture is not something you are — it’s something you choose to do on a consistent basis.

At RocketDog, we believe that culture plays a huge role in your overall Branding. When you have a positive company culture, you are able to showcase the employees and clients that interact with your Brand. As a company, it is crucial that your Branding reflects your culture.

With so many components, you cannot establish a positive company culture overnight. Therefore, this article will discuss the six key elements to creating a great company culture.

1: Listen To Employees

Whether you run a small or a massive organization, listening to the concerns and compliments from your employees is a crucial step in creating a positive atmosphere. Whether positive or negative, the sentiments expressed by people will highlight areas of the company culture. Some individuals may be voicing frustration with their leadership. Some people may praise the flexibility they have as an employee. By carefully listening, the strengths and weaknesses of your organization will be revealed. In addition to identifying areas of growth, listening allows you to gain trust among your coworkers. 

Squarespace  is a brand that has prioritized the voice of each of their employees. Within Squarespace, there are very few levels of management. Because of this design, each employee feels freedom and responsibility. With little management, employees have the ability to directly access top-level executives.

2: Promote Wellness

Show that you care about the wellbeing of your employees both inside and outside of office hours. When you promote wellness initiatives, your employees feel valued. There are many ways you can incorporate wellness into your strategy, including:

• Providing a variety of healthy snacks on site
• Subsidizing gym memberships
• Offering on site fitness classes

Not only should physical health be a priority, mental health is an important factor of culture as well. If individuals experience stress at work, it is likely to have a negative impact on their production. It is important that individuals feel empowered and capable. Many tensions can result from employees feeling that they are not able to succeed. Create an atmosphere where employees know that they can crush their goals. 

3: Create Opportunities For Friendships to Form

It is important for employees to connect with one another on a regular basis. Organized group lunches, friday happy hours, and community service days allow time for employees to connect. In today’s environment, it is critical to create avenues for meaningful connections to be made. When people are both friends and coworkers, there will be an increased trust between departments. Social gatherings will allow the top leadership to feel more accessible. Organized group events create a common ground for people across all departments.

Warby Parker is known for allocating portions of their budget to creating a positive company culture. They create an environment that is positive, always giving employees an event to look forward to in the future. Because there are resources and time that is allocated towards establishing a healthy culture, employees have ample opportunities to form friendships.

4: Highlights Areas of Strength

When establishing a company culture, it is crucial that people feel valued in the position that they are in. Let your employees be the experts in their field. Host lunch and learn sessions that are led by employees. Ask questions that allow people to showcase their knowledge. Create opportunities for individuals to continue their learning in their area of expertise. When people feel that they have value, they will want to continue bringing their services to the table.

5: Ask for Help

As you establish a company culture, involve each person in the development. Create teams that plan social outings or philanthropic events. Consider having a team that is responsible for gathering resources that can be used for further education. When you involve everyone in the execution of company culture, individuals will feel a sense of ownership and loyalty.

6: Identify Purpose

It is vital that employees know the purpose and goals associated with their role. Without purpose, there is no direction. In addition, it is important that people align with the overall vision of the organization. When people feel a sense of purpose in their role and in the company, they will be motivated to continue working through challenging seasons. To identify purpose, you must consider:

• What motivates your employees
• What are the common goals

These considerations will help to determine how to strengthen the culture of the group.

Why Company Culture Matters

Although company culture is talked about frequently, few Brands have an in-depth knowledge of how to establish a strong company culture. Culture is crucial to the overall Branding of your business. When people struggle to get integrated into the culture of a Brand, there will be a lower retention rate. A healthy environment attracts new talented individuals into the organization. If you are looking to expand the healthy culture of your company, there are many informative books that explain this topic further. Two of the most inspiring books about the value of culture are Culture Code and The Power of Moments.

How to Showcase Company Culture

Some Brands have incredible organizational cultures, but that is not reflected in their Branding. At RocketDog, we believe the environment of a company is crucial to its overall Branding. Branding is designed to portray the true identity of a company. This portrayal includes culture, products, services, marketing, collateral, and leadership. Without a healthy company culture, individuals are less likely to trust the services that you are offering. By integrating your company culture into your Brand strategy, you can expand your reach, establish trust in the marketplace, and attract top talent.

Conclusion

Your Branding should reflect your company culture. Company culture is the overall environment of your business. You can improve this environment by listening to employees, creating common objectives, highlighting areas of strength, and growing areas of weakness. Culture is not established overnight; it takes time to create an environment where everyone feels purpose. At RocketDog, we believe that great company culture should be showcased by Brands. If you are interested in revamping your Branding to reflect your culture, contact RocketDog today.