Nexstar Coach's Blog
Creating a Work Environment that WINS — Part 1
Think about your business and those employed by you. Do they love their jobs? Are they proud of the company they work for? Happy employees mean happy customers, and not the other way around! If you are unsure of the culture of your company, it may be time to re-evaluate the top five qualities of businesses with GREAT culture. This month, we’ll start with the first two qualities, staffing and onboarding, and next time, we’ll finish up with the rest.
STAFFING
Companies with a great culture do not have a revolving door. This is partly due to a selective hiring process. Do you hire with the notion of simply filling a desk? Do you hire in desperation mode? Are interviews done as an afterthought or hastily ushered in with little preparation? Successful business owners have a professional hiring process that begins with the intentional of making your business, the applicant, and the remaining team stronger. You spend a budget on marketing to attract external customers, so make sure you are allotting a budget to attract internal customers as well.
Smart companies attract great applicants with well-written job postings, a great incentivized referral program, and a branded company name that speaks for itself. These companies then conduct background checks, drug screens, and personality and aptitude tests. Interviewing is done by more than just the “boss,” and the great company will usually host at least two interviews before making a final decision. Great companies also look to have a well-balanced team. They always know what challenges or deficiencies their team faces and look for teammates who offset those with their natural strengths.
ONBOARDING
Another characteristic of a company with great culture is an above-par onboarding program. This begins well before day one. Have you given much thought to how your company is perceived when a new hire walks through the door? Is your office space welcoming? Did you notify your existing team of the new addition and start date? Did the new hire know what to expect with a clearly defined agenda? Successful companies announce a new hire to the rest of the team, often giving a brief bio of the new hire, the expected start date, and a gentle reminder to be considerate and friendly to welcome him or her into the company. These companies also have materials ready, including company attire, name badges, security logins, information entered into software systems, employee handbooks, and training manuals.
The first day should be one that reaffirms for the candidate that they have chosen the best company, and they should not feel like they just joined a sinking ship. This is a great day for reselling the applicant on your company. It should be low stress. Have an onboarding plan with an agenda for at least the first week if not longer. Some companies even pair the new hire with a senior team member, as a type of mentor, to ensure he or she has someone to connect with and ask questions to. The bottom line is to have a plan in place.
Check back next time for the other three characteristics that make up great company culture!
Publication date: 3/8/2017
Looking for quick answers on air conditioning, heating and refrigeration topics? Try Ask ACHR NEWS, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ACHR NEWS
