Curious about Culture

Lately, there has been a plethora of information on company culture, and why it is important to attracting that so desired top talent.  Company culture would best be described as the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees interact and handle business communications.

There are several different ways you can learn about a company’s culture, even just by observing. When you take a tour of a company, look around; listen to conversations between employees, glance at the accessories in peoples’ offices, and make sure to ask questions.

It’s a smart idea to ask about your starting role in the company and how you will be evaluated. It’s very significant that the company understands your needs. Also, ask about how the company got started and what their personal values are all together.

          

There is no better insight than talking to the employees about their role in the company and the social aspect of it. Does everyone tend to get along?  Do you enjoy the working environment?  A new job is also a learning experience, which is why you should also discuss new skills you might learn or knowledge you’ll be acquiring.

Aside from asking questions and observing, make sure you do your research on the company. You can find reviews on Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Facebook for more information. Culture is a vital part of a company, which is why it’s smart to take the time to learn about it before you take the next step. 

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information on company culture, and the importance of attracting top talent.

What to ask the Newbie

Effectively hiring a new employee is important for any company. How is this successfully achieved? The faster you get your new hire up-to-speed with things the more productive they can be.

It’s vital to get to know your new employee personally so they feel more comfortable at work. For example, take them out to lunch one day or to get a cup of coffee. Be sure to ask them questions in order to gauge how they are adjusting to their new job and work environment. See if their job has been what they expected so far and if it meets all of their standards. Make it very clear that honesty is critical with your new employee and they should be open with you. In order to get them more involved make sure they aren’t confused about their role in the company and that nothing is unclear.

As the manager, offer your new employee actions that could possibly make their transition easier. This will prove your commitment to them when it comes to improving their performance. Discuss what they are enjoying the most about their role, this way you are bringing up a positive topic. This is a clever way to bring up their strengths if you haven’t already.

Teamwork is one of the most important aspects in today’s business world. Make an effort to introduce your new employee to their colleagues. Start by inviting them to a group discussion or even set up lunches with people you think they would get along with.

The first few months at a new job can be quite difficult and sometimes uncomfortable to adjust to. By having occasional meetings with your new hire and asking them these questions, you will see them adapt much quicker to their new job.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin at www.connorcaitlin.com for more information on successful on-boarding practices. 

Happiness is the Ultimate Key to Success

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

If you want successful employees, you need happy employees. This begs the question, how do you get happy employees?

Hiring people who really want to work for your company is key to employee happiness. By creating a friendly work environment and being great at what you do, your company will attract excellent candidates. 

The best thing to do is simply open the dialogue with employees. If you do not really know what your employees need to be happy,

you cannot provide it. Every workplace is different and every employee is different, but having a common understanding of employees in your workplace will allow you to cater to them, which will create success. Additionally, simply making sure that your employees know that their happiness is important to you will contribute to higher employee morale and better company culture.

There are a lot of great articles about research done by Shawn Achor on happiness contributing to success. A great place to start making employee happiness a priority is checking out this research and sharing it with your employees.

Please contact Connor | Caitlin to talk about the happiness and success of your business.

www.connorcaitlin.com