Published on: 29 May 2019 The world has changed significantly in the first nineteen years of the new millennium, especially the world of recruitment. Long gone are the days when a new employee was selected based purely on their hard skills and job stability. No more is it solely the candidate who has to convince the company to hire them. No longer does a successful interview with the line manager mean guaranteed acceptance.
Company culture includes an organisation’s expectations, experiences, philosophy,
and values that hold it together and is expressed in its self-image, inner workings,
interactions with the outside world, and future expectations. It is based on shared attitudes,
beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed
over time and are considered valid.
In 2019, the cultural match counts more than ever. A new employee has to be part of a team, not an island within the company. Nowhere has this been more noticeable than in the field of IT recruitment. There have always been IT positions with a need for soft skills. Just imagine the Business Analyst bridging the gap between the business and the IT development teams or the Change Manager guiding the business teams through newly implemented software solutions. Nevertheless, today, all IT positions are required to possess the soft skills needed to work in a collaborative environment. SCRUM, AGILE, etc., all these methodologies mean even a developer, a system engineer, or a CISO doesn’t just develop code, maintain the infrastructure, or make sure the network is secure by themselves any more; they are part of a larger group working towards a common goal – keeping the business competitive.
This evolution should also be reflected in the recruitment process. One of the largest drivers in making sure a new hire is the right hire and will add benefit to the company’s bottom line should be to understand and match them to the company culture in which they will be working.
“Today, all IT positions are required to possess the soft skills
needed to work in a collaborative environment.”
The smartest and most motivated candidate may thrive in an environment that embraces a collaborative approach. But that same person might not be able to reach their full potential in a hierarchical organisation.
We do, however, notice that while quite a few companies understand the need for a good ‘cultural match’, they have never gone through an exercise of defining their company culture in detail and adapting their recruitment process accordingly.
Would you like to know more about company culture? Our whitepaper elaborates on the different types of culture, the effect on employee engagement, and how to implement company culture into your recruitment process.
DOWNLOAD OUR WHITEPAPER ON COMPANY CULTURE