Culture Insights

The Secret to Making Great Hires

Always Strive for Excellence

Let’s face it - boring job descriptions won't attract today's top talent. You need compelling job postings that showcase your culture, benefits and growth opportunities. Here are some of our best tips to help transform your posts and really engage the ideal candidates you want to attract: Spotlight your values, mission and “brand”. And weave this throughout the job description and not just in a few sentences at the end If available, be sure to emphasize flexibility, remote work options and other perks that highlight the work/life balance available Be sure to outline career development programs and even promotion paths to show the long-term potential at your company Use dynamic wording and compelling offers focused on opportunities Paint a picture of ideal employees using your candidate persona If you have them, include photos, videos and employee testimonials Talk about how you promote community and culture (events, sponsorships and other programs) Do some homework up front and try to optimize your post for SEO with relevant keywords While you may not be able to include every suggestion, we’ve seen time-and-again how a well-crafted job posting is an essential part to your recruitment strategy. Candidates are reviewing your content and assessing culture fit and this will likely be their first interaction with you and your company. Put your best foot forward and implement PEOPLEfirst's recommendations to attract qualified applicants. And if you could use some help crafting that perfect posting, reach out and we’ll be glad to help.

Facts and Figures Aren't Just for Accountants

Do you wish your company culture was more cohesive, innovative, and engaging? Does your organization struggle with lackluster employee engagement, high turnover, or lack of innovation? These issues often come down to weak company culture. But culture can’t be forced - it's shaped by the collective daily habits, behaviors and unspoken norms across your team. But culture can be hard to get our arms around. That's why PEOPLEfirst offers our Cards for Culture game to provide organizations with a way to define and strengthen their culture. But let’s first talk about why games have a place in the workplace. 1. Foster team bonding Playing games together in the workplace may seem unproductive, but it serves an important purpose. When colleagues step away from their regular responsibilities and interact in a more open, unscripted way, it breaks down barriers and helps to build trust. Games allow colleagues to be human together, strengthening interpersonal bonds between team members, which then improves collaboration, communication and empathy. 2. Gain Fresh Perspective Games provide a constructive way to step back and see your team, your challenges, and yourself in a new light. Getting out of regular routines and thought patterns can reveal blind spots. Games prompt new information and unexpected interactions between colleagues. The insights gained encourage appreciation for diverse strengths and styles. This builds empathy, trust and cohesion. 3. Spark Inspiration We’ve seen time-and-again that the playful context of playing a game together lowers barriers to ideation. Games motivate teams to want to apply insights sparked to make positive changes. New ideas emerge to improve communication, collaboration, processes, and more.  Intentional habits rooted in your cultural values are key to sustaining an engaging environment. While it can start with a game, be sure to make reflective practices a consistent habit. Examples include starting meetings with appreciation, sending weekly pulse surveys, or sharing wins regularly. PEOPLEfirst's Cards for Culture game which was designed for business professionals to help you craft an actionable plan to help improve your company's culture and make it more sustainable. Visit www.CardsForCultureGame.com to learn more and to purchase the game. What other ideas do you have for using games and habits to shape culture? Share with us below!

Defining your ideal candidate persona is crucial to targeting and attracting the right talent. Taking the time to understand what motivates them, their behaviors, skills, experience and other attributes is an up-front investment that can pay huge dividends by helping you figure out who you want to bring into your company. Start by asking questions about the potential candidates to help you build the profile: Why are they job searching? Is it a career change or progression? What roles and companies attract them? Consider their likely current and past jobs. What education, certifications and skills do they have? Think about technical and soft skills. What are their work styles and personalities like? Collaborative or independent? Use this intel to compile candidate attributes across: Demographics like age, location Psychographics like values, interests, personality Professional backgrounds Desired salary, roles, responsibilities Goals and motivations Building a clear candidate persona allows you to tailor your employer brand, job posts, and recruiting approach to ideal applicants. It's an essential step to long-term hiring success. And let us know if you can use help creating targeted personas that can attract the talent you need.

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