According to a landmark survey conducted by Physician Wellness Services, more than three-quarters (77%) of physicians surveyed agreed that organizational culture influences job satisfaction. Because cultural fit is paramount to both landing and retaining the best candidates, you must know how to effectively assess your organization’s culture. After all, to know if a candidate will fit in with the culture that drives your organization’s success, you must first be able to define it. Below are 10 ways to better identify and define your organization’s culture.
1.Vision and Mission
Evaluate your vision and mission statements to determine if they drive your people and processes and are revealed in daily practices.
2.Values
Consider your organization’s core values and determine if they are being implemented through staff actions and embody what is said about your organization in the marketplace.
3.Communication
Observe how your employees interact and communicate with patients, colleagues, and staff. Assess if communication is formal or informal and if people seem to be enjoying interactions.
4.Team vs. Individual Orientation
Evaluate if your staff collaborates to achieve goals or if productivity at the individual level is prioritized.
5.Physical Environment
Determine if your physical environment underscores your mission and lends credibility to your organization’s narrative.
6.Interpersonal
Evaluate how your employees get along and if your organization provides multiple opportunities for staff to convene both formally and informally.
7.Priorities
Understand what elements are given priority in your organization, whether that is work-life balance or fulfillment of a minimum hour or productivity requirement.
8.Accountability
Evaluate how staff members are held accountable, reviewed, and recognized within the organization.
9.Leadership Style
Because leadership style influences corporate culture, it is imperative that you evaluate if your organization is driven by administrative mandates or if a more bottom-up approach is supported.
10.Internal Audit
Interview various levels of staff individually and in small groups to ask pointed questions about organizational culture and get a complete picture of the environment at your facility.
Bottom line
Tactically recruiting and retaining top talent requires not only an understanding of organizational culture, but also an understanding of employee cultural fit and integration. Through evaluation of the 10 areas mentioned above, you will be better able to gauge what makes your environment work well and what types of individuals and traits will work well within your environment.
