The Role of Culture in Recruiting

Having a well-defined corporate culture, i.e., having a good story to tell, is by far the best way to help  you recruit and retain the people who can help your company achieve the success you are seeking.

Whenever I initiate a new  executive search, the first thing I always do is talk to several of the executives and managers get them to tell me their story by  asking them questions about their company:

• Are you a learning organization? 
• Are your contributions valued? 
• Do you value teamwork? 
• What’s it like to work here? Do you like it?
• Are you proud to tell others who you work for? 
• What do your associates think about working here? Are they psyched, engaged, excited by the challenges?
• Do you have a system in place to evaluate new ideas from the people working “in the trenches”? 
• What is your company’s reputation is in the marketplace? For collaboration? For innovation? For being productive? 
• What “excites” you the most about coming to work?

And I get them to tell me the story of their company.

In my role as an executive recruiter, it’s very important to have a good story to tell. After all, the most sought-after candidates, the ones that every company is looking for, can afford to be choosy.

And if your company’s culture has room for improvement, or you don’t have a good story to tell, it makes it more of a challenge.

Unless the candidate we’re seeking is going to have a direct hand in improving the culture, they’re less likely to want to come work for you, or you’ll end up having to pay a premium to attract them.

So a less-than-desirable corporate culture is self-perpetuating.  You are unable to attract the people who can help you the most.

Fortunately, if you have a culture that’s broken, or needs help fixing, there are things you can do. And that’s an area where my company has some expertise.

I am glad to be working at Dise & Company where we are inspired by our leader, and encouraged to continually improve the way we do things, and the way we work together.

We have a learning organization, where I am treated with dignity and respect.

Even though we practice different disciplines of Human Resource Consulting (Corporate Outplacement, Executive Search, and Leadership Coaching), we work not in silos, but as a team.

We’re encouraged to engage in professional development, so I feel like I’m always learning something new, and continually improving.

The most exciting aspect of my work is to present opportunities to people –both employers and employees— that they never considered before, and to effect meaningful change that positively impacts the lives of so many.

And I find that personally and professionally rewarding—that’s what we do, that’s what I do—we make a difference.

That’s my story. What’s yours?

Susan Paley Zak is the Director of Executive Recruiting at Dise & Company. You can contact Susan directly at the People Page on Diseco.com.

How to build lasting results through proactive management of key positions

By Bill Marshall

Many companies are plagued by what I call the ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind syndrome.’

It is usually caused by, more than anything, having way too much on your plate. A very common condition in today’s business environment.

We see companies with operations that were at one time highly profitable slip slowly into marginal profitability.

Recently, one of our clients discovered that morale at one of their most important factories was at an all time low.

After investigating the reasons for the low morale, it became clear that the plant manager was treating employees unprofessionally, and that he operated the plant not as a leader should, by setting the standard of behavior, but by creating a culture of fear and intimidation. This plant manager’s abuse of power created palpable dissension, and virtually destroyed any semblance of team spirit. It became increasingly difficult to hire workers near the plant because this manager’s reputation was so bad.

After the plant manager’s termination, we conducted a dedicated, focused search to find a manager to replace him. However, not all the candidates who applied for the position, after learning of the situation there, wanted to work in an environment that was so hostile and emotionally charged. Many of the candidates eliminated themselves from the running. 

After a thorough search, we identified two exceptionally qualified candidates, either one of whom would have been great for the job. Eventually, the company chose the candidate who lived the closest to the plant, and who had a proven record of accomplishment of improving morale in several factories he had managed previously.

Several months have passed, and after just a short period of time, this new plant manager has had an important impact on his new employer. Morale has improved. Productivity has improved. Turnover has been greatly reduced. And profitability has returned.

To many, this sounds like a management nightmare. But these are precisely the types business needs that we seek out. It’s not easy. Terminating a key manager never is. But sometimes it’s best for everyone involved.

In this instance, each of the stakeholders wins: (1) the employees are treated professionally and with courtesy and respect, (2) the new plant manager found a new position of responsibility and trust, (3), and the client company is charting a course to higher profits. 

It makes me glad to know that we, as executive search professionals, by helping companies proactively manage key positions, can make an essential contribution to the success and profitability of our clients.

Bill Marshall is the Vice President of Executive Search for Dise & Company. You can contact Bill directly at the People Page on Diseco.com.