How To Build A Marketable Culture To Attract The Best Candidates

3 steps to attract young talent

Job seekers have more options for employment now than at any other point in recent history. This means to fill open positions, your company must set itself apart from the competition. The best way to do this is by highlighting the backbone of the organization: your company culture. Strong culture leads to engaged, retained, and new employees.
 

It is easy to talk about having a great culture. The challenge is doing this authentically. Some companies are quick to parade ping pong tables and beer fridges to show their enthusiasm and how “cool” they are. However, the rapidly growing Millennial workforce doesn’t just want material incentives. A good and well-rounded corporate culture will ensure consistent recruitment of great Millennial workers who want the job for the right reasons, and that will possibly help to keep the high performers at your company longer.
 
Reshaping a company’s culture is a large task, but there are three things your brand can do to show the top recruits why you should not only be their #1 choice, but a company they view as more than just a stepping stone.

A Culture of Transparency

Millennials hate hypocrisy. Building transparency and accountability into your company will ensure you attract and retain quality employees.
 
Transparency can be utilized in different ways. Some companies like Buffer disclose their salary formula: “Salary = job type X seniority X experience + location (+ $10,000 if salary choice).” This level of clarity eradicates questions on glass ceilings and makes hierarchy less of an issue. Other companies are looking at their brand values to become transparent.
 
Patagonia does this through their environmentally sustainable values. If their clothing was created without environmental habits in mind, this would run counter to their audience’s ideals. Patagonia made a series of videos called, “Footprint Chronicles.” Within these videos, Patagonia reveals their clothing process from textile mills to sewing factories. They are open about issues and inviting toward consumer feedback.
 
Your ability to come across as a principled company should be specific. Whether that’s salary formulas or supply chain transparency, it’s important to make it work for you. Letting the public know positive company methods demonstrates your commitment to being open. Millennials are excited to work for a brand living up to their beliefs.

A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is one of the main issues and concerns on Millennial minds. According to one Glassdoor survey, two-thirds of candidates say that diversity is important to them when evaluating job offers. Your brand should display diversity as the cornerstone of your company.
 
Diversity can be a variety of things from race, gender, and background. With multiple voices as part of their team, a company can speak from a place of knowledge and awareness. Millennials want their world experience to be reflected in their work environments.
 
L’Oreal is striving to meet this need. They scored 100% in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality rankings. Through focus groups like Women of Color and Out@L’Oreal, this company strives to create an inclusive environment. Millennials are proud of diversity and want a company willing to work toward this goal.

A Culture of Positivity

This generation feeds on inspiration. Millennials are more receptive to conversations about learning and growth. You don’t have to pretend it is always rainbows and sunshine, but instead encourage employees where they can build up from.
 
For instance, instead of giving quarterly gut-punches to a Millennial’s work, try giving feedback in real time. This way, they can adjust to your expectations and create better work that week rather than see their months of hard labor torn apart in a 15 minute review. Feedback in real time gives Millennials control over what they can change then and there. Deloitte, The Gap, and Adobe have already replaced performance reviews with continuous feedback loops. They realize that the old way of quarterly reviews damages moral rather than inspires it.
 
Companies tend to think they need to spend a lot on material goods to create an attractive environment. It doesn’t take parties, casual Fridays, and gift cards; it takes a place where people are cared for and want to come to work. Millennials want to work for a company they can be proud of. If your company has a great culture, it’s time to start showing it off. If you are reading this and realize you don’t have a great culture the time to fix is it now.