Understanding Client Culture in Staffing and Recruitment
How to Get a Sense of Company Culture
In a previous post we talked about how important it is for your candidates to fit into your client’s company culture and to have the right soft skills So now that we have established the need to understand your client’s culture to make a great placement. Where do you begin to understand your client’s culture? Well, a good way to get a sense of the company culture is to simply ask the hiring manager. Ask the hiring manager to describe the culture at work, and within the team. Ask them how working there differs from other employers they have worked with? What kind of atmosphere do they create at work? Ask them to describe their own management philosophy and style and so forth.
Conduct Site Visits
Another good way to get a sense of the culture is to conduct a site visit. Not only will the site visit help you build stronger relationships with your client, but also it will help you experience the work atmosphere for yourself. The other reason why you need to conduct a site visit is because sometimes the culture and atmosphere the hiring managers perceive is very different than the ones the employee sees. A site visit will allow you a chance to see for yourself the work atmosphere your candidate will be a part of.
Taking a walk through the work area will give you a sense of what it is like to work there. Stop by the employee/union bulletin board and to see what the issues are, and what is being communicated. Is it filled with retirement party and company celebration posters, or is it filled with union and employee grievances? Walk through the employee lunch area. Do employees take their lunch or are they at their desk, working through their lunchtime? All of this will help you understand the company culture and in turn, help you find the right person for this client. At the very least, you will know how to describe the work environment to your candidate when asked. So enough can’t be said about investing time up front to ensure you understand the job, the culture, and qualifications which set the foundation for great hire.
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Posted: August 9th, 2008 under Staffing.