Why Should a Candidate Join Your Organization?

As an executive search consultant for 30-plus years, I work with many companies as they seek to fill specific positions. At the beginning of each engagement, especially with a new client, I ask several questions about the company, the open position, and the opportunity for an individual.

One of my first questions is, "what distinguishes your company from other employers"? And the follow-up to that question is, "why should an individual currently employed at another organization leave the company they know and pursue your opportunity"?

The answers to these questions are often brief and relatively generic, especially during employer-driven markets. I usually need to prod the client to provide more detailed information about their organization as a place to work.

The responses of "all of our people are happy" or "our people are our most important asset" do not provide the detail that will differentiate you from other organizations. Candidates frequently hear generic responses, and the stronger candidates don't believe them. If they are authentic, more specific information is needed.

In today's employee-driven market, differentiation is critical. A company must identify and document all the specific reasons a talented individual should know when considering an opportunity at your firm. You will not be attractive to every candidate, but you will have a better chance of appealing to the "right" people who will excel and grow in your company. And you will reduce costly hiring mistakes by being honest and thorough on the front end of the hiring process.

Your Company Culture and Work Environment are Unique

The Great Resignation has demonstrated that many people want a different work experience. Some of these people will pursue entrepreneurial, contract, or part-time opportunities. However, a more significant number of these people are seeking alternative work environments.

Their concerns may involve work/life balance, growth opportunities, training, or remote versus on-site working. Or they may have challenges with more qualitative issues, including the company's culture, management style, approach to diversity, or current employee evaluations.

Each organization should identify as many of these issues as possible and determine where your organization fits in providing or not providing answers. The documentation of these employment factors is necessary so that you can share this information with candidates and potential candidates.

Your company has a distinct culture and work environment, primarily because your people are unique. Even two similarly sized companies that provide identical products or services in the same location can be very different places to work.

All accounting firms are not the same. All manufacturing companies do not have the same culture or work environment.

Define How Your Organization is Different

It may be time to take, or update, an assessment of your work environment. Some of the questions may include:

• What Human Resources, Operating, or other programs and processes do you use that are unusual or unique to you?
• What are the pluses and minuses of working for your company or department?
• What is the average tenure of your employees, and how does that compare to industry or local averages?
• What do your industry competitors include on their websites and recruitment marketing materials about their work environment, if anything?
• For those positions that are not industry-specific, what do local employers include on their websites and recruitment marketing materials, if anything?

Summarize the answers to these questions. You will find opportunities for improvement and a foundation for your "Why." 

How do You Find This Information?

Talk to your employees. Talk to your management team. Develop surveys or questionnaires that can be distributed to, or discussed with, all these people. Consider different questionnaires for different employees based on tenure with the company or other factors.

For your recent hires, you may include questions such as:

• Why did you select our company?
• What did you see at our company that you did not see at other organizations with whom you interviewed?
• What factors do your friends look for in an organization or position?
• Are you missing any employment factors that you thought would be here?

For employees who have been with you for a few years, some of the questions may be:

• How would you describe our company as a place to work?
• What employment factors are good?     
• Do you feel like you have appropriate growth opportunities at our company?
• Are you receiving the training and mentoring services you expected?
• What improvements can we make, and how would you recommend doing so?

What have your recent exit interviews with people leaving the company told you?

• Why are you going?
• What has changed since you came to work here?
• What employment factors are missing here that you found at other organizations?
• What improvements can we make?

Have you gathered information from candidates you pursued that took another offer?

• Why did you not accept our offer?
• What employment factors did other organizations offer?
• What improvements can we make?

Share This Information with Everyone

Create, or update the Careers section of your website. Add new information as it develops, employee testimonials, and case studies to draw additional attention to your company and employment advantages.

Consider creating a brief "Why We Are a Great Place to Work" document.

Get the document to current candidates that you are actively recruiting.

Ensure your employees, vendors, customers, and other appropriate partners have a copy. Referrals from people that know your organization can be the best source of candidates.

You develop content for your marketing efforts (if you don't, we need to talk), and you direct that content to increase your sales and profits.

Do the same thing with your people content or recruiting content. Where are the quality candidates that you want to attract? Get this information in front of them.

The Benefits Are Immediate and Long-Term

The ability to distinguish employment in your organization will set you apart from many other employers in your industry and the geographic region(s) you serve. Most companies have not thoroughly explored "why they are a great place to work."

The availability and communication of this information will create efficiencies in your recruiting process. People who agree with your culture and approach to business will seek more information about you and may contact you directly. Of course, some individuals will reject one or more aspects of this information; thus, they are not the right fit for your organization. Eliminating or delaying contact with these people will save time and money in your recruiting efforts.

This information will positively impact your relationship with current employees and the management team. The opportunity to share their input and voice in this process will strengthen their bond with your company. It will also be information they can share with friends and associates outside of the company that may lead to referrals.

Customers, vendors, and other company partners will appreciate receiving this information and possibly participating in its development. Their bond with your company will also strengthen, and they may feel more comfortable making referrals.

The accumulation of this information will highlight potential problems or shortcomings in your current employee relations. These issues can be addressed, evaluated, modified, or corrected.

Distinguishing your company, improved hiring efforts and results, more involved and committed employees, and improved customer and vendor relationships will contribute to your company's long-term success.

Now is the Time to Act

Is your business hurting or ready to grow, but you can't find the right people or enough people to move forward?

Companies and organizations that are successful in today's recruiting environment identify and promote specific advantages of joining their teams. They understand that excellent candidates know what they want regarding their "right" organization, and the employers make sure their story is out there for these people to find.

Provide the candidates you want with WHY you are the place they should be. Market and sell your organization to your future employees as you market and sell your products and services to prospective customers.