‍Have a clear point of view

So, how do you frame your company’s values to attract the right people for the job? The first thing you should do is clarify your MVVP – your mission, your values, your vision, and your purpose. 

Here at Lucida, our mission is clear and simple – we are on a mission to reshape the culture of hiring. We value courage, liberty, respect, grit, and versatility. See? Already, if you outline those key drivers that personify your company, it sets you up to attract like-minded professionals. 

Our vision is to become a global connector for talent and opportunity and our purpose is to help people and companies create better work. 

If you nail your company’s unique values code, it sets up a truly clear picture of who you are and helps potential employees identify if your company is where they want to work. 

Demonstrate with examples

Working in talent acquisition consulting, I’ve seen a lot of company value statements and, after a while, they all start to just blur into one another. They’re just a list of the usual jargon. Candidates feel the same, looking at company outlines and benefits. It’s fatiguing. Saying you care about wellness or champion courage isn’t enough – you must showcase real, tangible examples that a candidate can relate to and how your commitment to your MVVP manifests in the everyday working life of an employee. 

Don’t be afraid to give a case study. For example, you could say something like ‘Billy has worked with us for six months and alerted us to the fact he has a fear of public speaking. However, last night he gave his first presentation on our new database in front of 25 people. No one forced him to do this. We provided tailored coaching that addressed his concerns and complemented his way of working. The result was great for both Billy and the participants in the workshop he gave.’ 

Lock in your values code

Actions and real-life stories like Billy’s build the culture but the bridge between values and culture is where your values code will sit. The VC is where your company dispenses with the corporate jargon and stamps your unique approach instead.  

Once you’ve established your values code, make sure all communications – job ads, position descriptions and social media posts, right through to the interview process and follow-up contact – is infused with it. Make it crystal clear. This way, you’ll attract the right candidate, while people who wouldn’t gel with company will recognise this before they even bother applying. 

Retain excellent staff

So why do this? Why put in the hard yards clarifying your position? Simple. It’s good for your bottom line. 

In a nutshell, it improves retention, productivity, and engagement as you are working with a team that you understand and that understands you. Communication flows more easily, so you have more trust, which leads to confident delegation and autonomy. Moving to a values-based approach can improve retention by as much as 43%. Remember that retention starts with hiring – screen out any disasters waiting to happen and get those like-minded individuals on board from the get-go. If you build a team that’s in sympatico, you can only go from strength to strength.