Tag Archives: Culture

Organizational Culture Change Manifesto

Recently I surveyed you guys on what you wanted to learn about organizational culture. Change was the highest response on the survey, so today I’m happy to present the Organizational Culture Change Manifesto. It’s a free guide that covers some of my perspectives on changing the culture at work. This is not exhaustive and I am planning to incorporate more into the upcoming book I’m writing, but I thought this would be a great place to start from. If you are looking for more culture goodness, please check out the Rock Your Culture guide!

If you have any issues, leave a comment below and I’d be happy to help!

Culture at work-what do you want to know?

culture at workThis weekend I started on a new guide (read through to the end to find out how you can get a free copy!). The focus is culture at work, and I am looking for ideas to make sure it’s as valuable as possible to the people who will read it. I already have some amazing responses, but there’s always room for more! Here’s a taste of what people want to know that I plan to answer in the guide…

  • I’m frustrated that too often, ‘doesn’t fit culture’ as an interview comment can mean anything from ‘I’m not comfortable with his/her attitude’ to ‘she seems old’ to ‘he doesn’t like the same things we do.’ Yes, you can hire for culture on the basis of shared core values and behaviors, but it’s important to define work culture as those core values and behaviors, rather than as any demographic or hobby.
  • We’ve just started the process of rolling two other companies into ours and the cultures at all three locations are fairly different.  At my location while we are relaxed we still expect people to come into the office and work their scheduled time.  The two new locations are even more laid back. Our concern is how to add a little more structure in the day to day operations of the new businesses without making them feel like its a hostile takeover.

The quick, three question survey is linked below. Could you take a moment and help me create this thing? In return I\’ll share a free advance copy of what I create with you (you\’ll have to share your email at the end of the survey so I can send it to you).

Update: the survey has closed and the Organizational Culture Change guide has been released.

Culture: commonality and exclusivity

The other day my friend Daniel Crosby pointed me to a company called Clearlink. I checked out their culture study at his urging, and it gave me some great ideas to pursue. Not that it’s scientific or the source of a deep revelation; it’s just one more piece of their culture that can be use to attract (or deter) potential candidates.

Commonality

It shows the under-the-surface stuff about the company’s people. These are commonalities that aren’t all immediately apparent, yet they provide a platform for people to connect on a deeper, more personal level. I’m an Android fan, so I know I can geek out with plenty of them. Superficial, yes, but having common topics of interest makes for a more enjoyable work environment for all.

Exclusivity

One area of culture that’s not discussed as much is the exclusivity factor. It shouldn’t be something that appeals to everyone. When I’m in an interview and I am getting a sense (through deeper, probing questions)  that a person doesn’t have the same values that define the organization, I have no problem letting them go by. Even if someone is has amazing skills and abilities, if they don’t fit the culture it’s going to most likely end up souring before long.

For me, looking at this kind of chart that Clearlink provides is a fun, neat way to see into what they do. For other people, I would imagine that it’s a turnoff if they are looking for a more traditional, 9-to-5 workplace. And you  know what? That is perfectly fine. There’s something out there for everyone!

Does anyone out there do a culture survey at work (more scientific/work focused than this one or just as silly, either one works)? I’d be curious to know what kinds of questions you ask. Feel free to hit me via email and we can discuss: ben@upstarthr.com

The What vs. The How

I covered the concept of the “what” and the “how” of work long ago in my review of The Pursuit of Something Better.

In the book, U.S. Cellular is going through a dramatic culture change, and a large aspect of that is the shifting mindset from focusing on the “what” to focusing on the “how.”

Here’s a good example. Many years ago when the majority of the workforce was employed in factories performing manual labor, companies dominated the “how” of work. They told employees when to be there, how the work was to be performed, and when they could leave.

But that’s obviously not the case for most work these days. Companies are realizing that giving people control of the way work is accomplished (the “how”) is a great way to get employees engaged in their jobs.

Back to U.S. Cellular. The company started putting less emphasis on the “what” (sales targets, number of calls received, and other metrics) and more on the “how” (communication, ethical behavior, etc.). Despite the critics’ belief that they would fall on their face for taking their eyes off the all-important numbers, the company actually flourished. And, in time, the numbers looked better than ever, because the leaders within the company had the courage to focus on the bigger picture.

Take a moment to think about your own workplace. Is more emphasis being put on the “what” than the “how?” Are people pursuing good numbers and letting their ethics and morals fall by the wayside? Are managers using intimidation and fear to get the results they want instead of offering a thoughtful, considerate point of view?

Sometimes it can be difficult applying these abstract concepts to the way real work is done. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Coaching managers on how to change their thinking won’t be simple, but it is worth the effort. Doing so can mean the difference between success and failure for your people!

3 HR and Recruiting Tools I’ve Used Lately

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been bombarded at work lately (hence the low number of posts!). Some of that busyness is driven by projects I’m working on (recruiting, baby!). Other parts of it are self-imposed, because once I have an idea I have a hard time letting it go. The good part for you, though, is that you get to enjoy the fruits of that labor and investigation! Here are the three free HR and recruiting tools I’ve been playing with lately.

SmartRecruiters

This is a free ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that I use for recruiting where I work. While it’s not as robust as a paid service, it has some amazing features. Plus, it completely blows away our old way of doing recruiting. Opening up an HTML editor, coding a job ad by hand, and posting it on our own website. Then applicants had to email their resumes if they were interested.

Ugh.

Now I post a job in my SmartRecruiters menu, automatically share that across free job boards like Indeed.com (one of the largest job aggregators around), and get notifications when people apply. Then I log into the system and do a quick screen before sharing it with the hiring manager for review. Very simple and such a relief for an HR/recruiting department of one person!

Fun @ Work from Baudville

This is a (free) handy PDF guide with 52 ways to have fun at work included. I am always looking for new ideas to keep lines of communication open across the organization, and I have really dug into this guide to find some ideas lately. With all of the stress of work and life that employees are dealing with these days, why not help them have some fun @ work?

Zappos Culture Book

If you’ve heard of Zappos, you know that they have a legendary corporate culture. It’s unique, and it’s a differentiator for them. Employees love being there. Customers love shopping there. It’s really an amazing phenomenon. Well, in my relentless pursuit of corporate culture development, I ran across the Zappos Insights website where you can order a free Culture Book! If you sign up for one, you’ll receive it in about a week. I just got mine and have already started seeking out ideas.

And that’s how I’ve been spending a portion of my time lately! Anyone else have any neat, free tools that they use as HR or recruiting professionals? 

Define corporate culture for candidates to make better hires

Define corporate culture… is part one of a series on culture. It’s one of the reasons I love where I work (and we have almost 100% retention over the life of the company). I’m hoping to shed some light on my philosophies when it comes to culture and its role in the workplace.

One of the quotable quotes from HRevolution this year was in response to someone asking what HR does to create culture. I think the role for HR is not to create it, but to communicate and reinforce it at every possible opportunity. At least that’s what I do on a daily basis. I see every opportunity to interact, whether internally or externally, as a way to share what makes us different. Some people like what makes us different and some people don’t, but that’s another post for another day.

A few areas to communicate your unique culture (just in the areas of recruiting and selection): Continue reading →