A look at how to respond to the question, "What's Your Culture Like?". Too often, we sell candidates on our work environments without focusing on how their individual roles will be impacted everyday. This presentation gives four insights that will help you describe your culture to others. #thehrglobalist

1. WHAT CULTURE IS…
And what it’s not.
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2. Culture sets your
organization
apart but you
must be sure
about what
culture is so you
can communicate
it clearly.
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3. Culture is HOW
work gets done.
How an individual in a
job role accomplishes
their work.
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4. When someone asks…
“What’s your culture like?”
It’s easy to go into sales mode.
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5. Often Sold as
Culture:
Office perks like casual dress code,
glitzy workspaces, and free lunches.
“People like working here.”
Fun things like summer picnics and
new hire swag.
“We have lots of fun.”
Non-traditional benefits like pet
insurance and gym memberships.
“The company really invests in us.”
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6. All important but…
Not culture.
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7. Why?
Because they don’t describe the ‘everyday’.
They don’t address what an individual will
encounter while performing their roles.
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8. So when someone asks…
“What’s your culture like?”
Focus on these four things instead:
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9. CONTEXT
Those aspects of the work environment that require navigation.
Self-Awareness
• Intrinsic motivators
needed to be
successful.
Obstacles
• Challenges faced.
• Need for innovation
and creativity.
Channels
• Savvy and business
acumen needed.
Diversity
• Importance of thought,
disclosure, and
expertise.
“Here’s what you’ll see everyday.”
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10. RESOURCES
Those aspects of the work environment that require interaction.
Infrastructures
• Internal “supply chain” or
the company’s workflow.
Tools
• Equipment used to
conduct work.
“Here’s what you’ll use everyday.”
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11. VALUE
Those aspects of the work environment that require influence.
Accomplishment
• Effort needed to reach
goals.
• Working through the self.
Collaboration
• Degree to which self-
directed work balances
against teamwork.
• Working through others.
Acknowledgement
• How work gets both
monitored and
recognized.
“Here’s who you’ll need everyday.”
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12. SCOPE
Those aspects of the work environment that require boundaries.
Autonomy
• How much latitude is
awarded.
• Degree to which work is
directed.
Decision-Making
• Who decides on what
needs to be done,
initially and along the
way.
Accountability
• Who is ultimately
responsible for
outcomes.
Mobility
• How one develops as the
organization grows.
“Here’s the impact you’ll make everyday.”
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13. So now when someone asks…
“What’s your culture like?”
You can talk about how work gets done!
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14. My Definition of Culture:
The ways in which employees
CREATE,
COLLABORATE,
and INNOVATE
to solve problems and
to produce business
outcomes.
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15. Be OK with the fact
that culture isn’t
necessarily uniform
across the whole of
the organization!
Culture has parameters and
expectations that you set.
Yet, culture is people-centric at its core.
Since people do the work, people in turn
affect the work environment in different
ways.
How one person in your organization
describes your culture may vary wildly
from someone else’s description in
another part of the company.
That’s ok.
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16. Remember, culture is
HOW
work gets done.
How an individual in a
job role accomplishes
their work.
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17. “Here’s what you’ll SEE everyday.”
“Here’s what you’ll USE everyday.”
“Here’s what you’ll NEED everyday.”
“Here’s the IMPACT you’ll make everyday.”
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18. theHRglobalist.com
Christopher A. Hudson, SHRM-SCP, Assoc. CIPD
All rights reserved | 2020
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