Occasionally, when we help our clients succeed in marketing, we create more problems for them. We advertise how great their company is, how wonderful their service is, and that their technicians are the “best of the best.” But does the story we’re quite literally broadcasting all over town jive with what is happening inside the building? When prospective employees apply and interview, what are the company’s expectations, and what can it offer? Will they fit into an enjoyable team atmosphere, or will they be subjected to the cancerous gossip of “let me tell you how things really are around here” on the smoke breaks by the dumpster?

Today’s job candidates expect a high level of transparency with potential employers. They want you to tell them what it’s like to work for you, and they’ll follow up on social media to confirm your story and collect feedback from your employees, current and past.

You have often heard us talk about the convergence of Story, Culture, and Experience as it relates to customers. The same can be true of how you attract and retain employees.

What story is the outside world hearing?

The story you tell the world through marketing and advertising sets an expectation about what it’s like to work at your company. Think Disney theme park commercials, where the hotel staff is depicted making magical things happen. Disney sets a precedent for going above and beyond in unexpected ways. And they do. Do you?

Is your company a superior place to work?

Your lures have to be more attractive than the same-old same-old benefits package of your competitors. Pretty much everyone offers medical and dental. How about upping the ante with a sign-on bonus, profit-sharing, a family outing, a recognition dinner, bonuses for exemplary service, or comp days for going the extra mile?

What are the values within your culture?

Often, when we are invited to do in-house training with a client’s staff, we will start by having team members circle seven words on a list to determine their personal core values. You can then see patterns in what they respect and value. It also gives you a better idea of how to retain and reward them.

What are your company’s core values?

If you can’t answer that, then you have nothing with which to compare your team members’ values. Outside of a lofty Mission Statement or Vision Statement, what stories can you point to when you succeeded or failed, and what did you learn? These stories help your team (and prospects) appreciate the company’s journey to where it is today, and they will become more invested in the path to greater success ahead.

What experience do employees bring to the outside world? The degree of satisfaction, confidence, and friendliness the employee feels within the office is carried outward to delight customers. Customers, in turn, show their appreciation with good reviews, positive feedback, and referrals. When management recognizes an employee, the positive loop continues.

Do you invest in a community chest?

Become famous for doing good, for offering solutions when chaos reigns, and for demonstrating reliability when Mother Nature (or human nature) does otherwise. Don’t be a poser, though; do it genuinely. It will attract people with the same “giving heart.”

Remember, “shift happens.”

An exodus of team members happens to even the best companies, and you have to face up to it and say, “It’s not us, it’s them.” Life circumstances draw employees to different directions. There are people who simply have a “nomadic” personality, but they could also be leaving because they feel that your company’s brand is out of alignment with their values. It is easy to see a team member’s departure as something personal, but keep in mind, if you hear a common thread in exit interviews, perhaps it is time to reassess whether the company needs to make an adjustment in its story and culture, particularly when it affects the experience you bring to the world.

We have developed an abundance of resources, actionable steps, and processes on this topic that would make this book intimidatingly thick, but if you need our help, get in touch, and we can help you crack the recruitment riddle once and for all.

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