The new LinkedIn ranking of the best companies to work for shows that job seekers want employers who share their values, according to an analysis by Ingrid Lunden on TechCrunch.The question is how to show them you share their values.
“According to new data from LinkedIn, people are gravitating to workplaces that align with their values, and their values include a range of factors like diversity and skills growth, not just how much money they’ll make,” Lunden writes.
To my surprise, Amazon tops the list. The harried workers I see delivering packages don’t strike me as the epitome of workplace bliss. Maybe it’s different for those who work in the company’s offices, rather than in its warehouses or on the streets doing delivery. Whatever the case, the people who work at Amazon and other companies topping the list, such as Wells Fargo, believe that their employer holds many of the same ideals they hold.
Leaders Need to Exemplify Values
I wonder what those ideals could be, and how the companies on the list communicate those beliefs to current and prospective employees. If I were in their place, I would create a company mission statement page with a list of values that align with the mission, and then every month I would tap an executive or department head to write a few paragraphs, with photos, if possible, of something they did in their life that exemplifies one of the values.
Knowing that company leaders are living out values aligned with the mission statement gives current and potential employees concrete examples of what each of the values means. These stories from the lives of executives should be on a part of the company Website where prospective employees go to learn about the company. And, if possible, it also should be accessible from the place where they go to submit an application for employment.
To take it one step further, you could ask the executives to include a few sentences on how the action or experience from their own lives that exemplifies one of the values is tied to the work they do for the company. They could talk about how the same value that led them to do good in their own life also leads them to better serve customers and their workforce.
Ask Candidates About Their Values
When candidates apply for a position, you could ask them to include a brief statement about their own values and to share an example of how the values that are most important to them have played out in their personal and work lives. You can ask for at least one specific example. Rather than feeling put out by asking to share this information, many prospective employees may feel heartened that the company is interested. They may count it in your favor.
In addition, you could have a place on the application for job candidates to ask the hiring manager a question about their values. The applicants who become finalists for the position would be presented with that answer ahead of their final interview, or in-person during the interview.
Consider Personality Assessments
Another idea—which a healthcare practice I have written about implemented—is to not only conduct personality assessments as part of the hiring process, but then to take time with the finalist candidates to talk about the specific findings from the assessment that make the company think they might be a good fit for a job role. The employee will see that you value knowing they are a good match for their potential new job, and that you’re not just seeking to fill an empty slot. They will know it’s not enough that they can do the job, but that their assessment shows they will be happy in their role.
The discussion of the apparent good fit then can lead into a conversation about the employee’s values that will also make the role a good match for both them and you.
How are you communicating your values to job applicants?