How to Attract the Right Talent Using Your Company’s Values

When your company’s values are used to attract talent, you end up saving immeasurable time and resources. You'll notice an increase in the quality of candidates applying - people who are genuinely aligned with your mission and workplace culture.

This leads to faster hiring decisions, stronger employee engagement, and higher retention rates, as new hires feel a sense of belonging from day one.

Instead of spending time weeding out those who aren’t the right fit, your vales based recruitment process will naturally draw in those who are not only qualified but are passionate about contributing to your company’s goals - all before the first interview!

1?? Uncover Your True Company Values

Before you can use your values in recruitment, you need to know what they really are. I'm not talking about generic statements like “integrity” and “innovation.” What do you stand for in practice? Two questions to use to uncover your true values are:

• What behaviours and attitudes do you consistently celebrate within your team?
• What terms do customers and employees use frequently to describe your company?

We recently engaged a business called Hyfen8 to do this for us. We were obsessed by the way they were able to gather info on and articulate our intangible value. Highly recommend!

2?? Inject These Values into Your Employer Brand

Your employer brand is the story you tell the world about your business as a workplace. Make sure your values are felt at the core of your narrative. If you don't want to feel icky doing this, I recommend:

• Using real-life examples and success stories that show how these values have shaped your workplace culture.
• Remembering that authenticity is key. Candidates can tell when a brand is just putting up a front, so keep it real and relatable.

3?? Use Your Values in Recruitment Marketing

Now comes the fun part - using your values to attract the right talent. Sprinkle a little values based employer branding over everything - from job ads to interview.

• In job ads, describe not only the skills you’re looking for but also the attitudes and behaviours that align with your values.
• On social media, share content that showcases your culture, including employee stories and behind-the-scenes insights. Here's an example of this all done very well - And the result?: "People are visibly excited to come in for interviews, they can feel the creativity in the air - none of what we put on socials is a show."
• During interviews, be upfront about what your values are and how they influence everything from team collaboration to decision-making. This gives candidates a clear picture of whether your culture is a good fit for them.

When your values are front and centre in your recruitment strategy, you’ll attract candidates who don’t just have the skills but are also passionate about your company right out of the gate. And that’s the recipe for a thriving, long-term hire.