I always felt a bit awkward around all those cringy corporate vision-and-mission statements. On the positive side it seems like HR-related communication has become less pompous in recent years? More straightforward and honest regarding ”corporate culture” and such. Thank God for that. Over the years I have certainly done my share of corporate BS too. But … little booklets claimed to describe the soul of the company and build the company culture. In reality it isn’t quite that easy.
Fedora Artyushyna is HR specialist at Phyron in Stockholm: ”We don’t expect people to adapt to rigid beliefs or roles. We rather look for genuine talent and make sure to understand who they are. Then we define their roles based on each one’s individual capabilities.
"The right people already know that customer success and satisfaction are important, and that a company cannot succeed without it. They also know that real wins are achieved together.”
As for diversity, the company doesn’t only tick all the mandatory boxes. People move freely across all time zones and cultural borders every working day. Fedora continues:
”Everybody’s encouraged to think and act like a true entrepreneur. And, by gathering competence from different walks of life … and different parts of the world … we build a truly inclusive and creative work environment.”
IS THE EMPLOYER QUALIFIED?
What about you? When you meet a potential employer, do you make sure to find out about the company culture, too?
Says Louise Helin at Talent Acquisition in Stockholm: ”In the past, job ads and interviews were mostly about what the EMPLOYER wanted. Not just the required skills and experience. Regardless of the job, all candidates were expected to be result-oriented, customer-focused, and so on. Now it’s much more about what the most qualified CANDIDATES want.”
Sounds a lot like basic marketing insight, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s also about cutting the old, fluffy corporate lingo … being more straightforward and honest about it?
But one thing that candidates should give more attention is the qualifications and future prospects of the company. Is the business concept on the winning side of evolution and industry transformation? Are the proud plans for the future based on deep market insight, real customer needs, sustainable technology, and a competitive business model? Dare to ask, and don't take evasive double-talk for an answer!
