Company culture is a key factor in establishing a company’s brand to attract new customers but also talented hires. Core values and how employees get along is one of the first things a potential employee examines when considering if a particular company would be a good fit for them.
Organizations that are looking at bringing in talent that meshes well with their company culture usually advertise that as one of the benefits of joining their enterprise, just as they would advertise their values to attract new business. Below, 11 professionals from Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the most effective techniques businesses use to market their company culture.
Members share their best tips for showcasing your company’s culture to prospective employees.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Reflect Culture Internally And Externally
Our values are a critical part of both our internal and external conversations. Whether we are talking to a client or a co-worker, when something is out of alignment with our company values, we call that out and talk about how to bring the situation back into alignment. A great example is our value of “candor.” This value helps set the right context for uncomfortable or difficult conversations. – Rebecca Brooks, Alter Agents
2. Let Your People Do The Talking
Every employee should be a walking billboard highlighting your company culture. At our company, we pride ourselves on supporting a strong work/life balance. We value the idea of work hard, play hard. We offer flexible hours, family time and a culture that fosters fulfillment, personally and professionally. Employee longevity and satisfaction is apparent and naturally attracts the right people. – Katie Harris, Spot On Solutions
3. Really Live Your Culture Every Day
Clients are buying people that they feel best represent who they want to work with. Truly living our culture every day, in everything we do, is the key to marketing our culture. It’s not about slides, signs or other tactics, but a pride across the organization for who we are and what we are creating together, and showing that pride in every interaction with clients, the community and each other. – Scott Elser, Digital Current
4. Put People Front And Center
If you believe that people are your brand promise, then culture and people are inextricably linked. The greatest window into our culture is not our website, it’s not our marketing collateral; rather, it’s the interactions our people have with clients, suppliers, the community and each other. When it comes to both client and talent attraction, we put our people front and center, period. – Camille Nicita, Gongos, Inc.
5. Provide A Sneak Peek
Market your company’s individuality while building authority in your field using social media. Our Instagram page offers a glimpse into our culture using a combination of informative posts about digital marketing and lighthearted photos representing our office’s values. The page conveys that we’re experts who take our roles seriously but are also down-to-earth, which resonates with our audience. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions
6. Make Culture Part Of Everything You Do
Company culture is the part of our brand that employees know firsthand. It ties directly to our values, demonstrated in every interaction with our clients, and with prospective and current employees. A company’s values are tied directly to the values of its leaders. In our case, these are creativity, commitment to results, personal growth, integrity, attention to detail — and love of great food! – Nicole Osmer, Health+Commerce
7. Weave It Into Proposals And Newsletters
We highlight our company culture through our website, social media channels and even in new business proposals. A new way that we are starting to showcase our company culture is in our monthly newsletter where we include an “Overheard at Ketner Group” section in every issue. This section is to spotlight something funny that was said in the office or a picture from one of our company outings. – Catherine Seeds, Ketner Group Communications
8. Encourage Activities Outside Of Client Work
We place a premium on corporate culture, so we try to do a number of things outside of traditional client responsibilities and media relations for our staff. Some things, like happy hours or team bonding events are well known, but we’re also now creating a volunteer day program which allows employees with a day out of the office and away from work, and something to be proud of and share with others. – Eric Fischgrund, FischTank Marketing and PR
9. Reward Staff For Living Your Values
We highlight company culture by rewarding staff for exemplifying the values we hold, like attracting clients with the same values, celebrating successes, investing in advanced education and workshops and celebrating as a team but also with our clients. We have weekly team happy hours filled with queso, taco Fridays for guest visits and a Friendsgiving event. – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
10. Take Pictures
Keep on taking pictures. As simple as this sounds, keeping the images on your website and social channels fresh shows job candidates and potential clients how your team collaborates and has fun in a way that’s more authentic than copy alone. – Kim Charlton, PMG (Pinnacle Marketing Group)
11. Help Drive Employee Behavior
The company culture drives employee behavior. A culture that values innovation and speed will create different employee behavior than one focused on quality and reliability. Employees are the ones creating the brand experience, so the culture will directly impact how they deliver on the brand promise or not. – Elizabeth Baskin, Tribe, Inc.
