Hiring is one of the most challenging aspects of running a small business. It’s easy to get caught up in crafting the perfect job ads or figuring out where to find the right candidates. But what if the key to successful hiring isn’t in those details at all?

It all comes down to your company culture.

More specifically, it’s about how you transfer that culture into every single part of your hiring process. This is where many small businesses miss the mark. They think of culture as something that happens after someone joins the team. But the truth is, it starts much earlier than that.

Understanding Transfer in the Recruitment Flywheel:

• Transfer of Culture: Transferring your company’s culture means making sure it’s clear and felt from the very first interaction a candidate has with your business. Culture isn’t static; it’s a living part of your company that should be embedded in every piece of your hiring process, from job ads to interviews.
• Cultural Consistency: Consistency is what keeps your recruitment process running smoothly. If your culture isn’t consistently communicated, you’re likely to send mixed signals, which can lead to hiring mismatches. When your culture is clear and consistent, it acts like a magnet, drawing in the right candidates.
• Avoiding Stagnation: Regularly audit your recruitment materials to ensure they align with your current culture. As your business evolves, so should your hiring approach. What worked last year might not be effective today, especially if your company’s values have shifted. Keeping your materials updated ensures that you continue attracting candidates who are the right fit.

Conducting a Culture Audit:

• Routine Reviews: Periodically review your company’s culture and make sure it’s accurately reflected in your recruitment process. If your culture has evolved, your hiring materials need to evolve with it. A disconnect between your culture and your recruitment approach can lead to hiring the wrong people.
• Objective Evaluation: Take a step back and evaluate your culture objectively. It’s easy to be biased when it’s your own company, but this step is crucial to making sure your hiring process truly reflects your culture.

Communicating Culture Consistently:

• Consistent Messaging: Ensure that your culture is consistently communicated in your job ads, interviews, and onboarding materials. A consistent message reinforces the culture you want to maintain and helps keep the recruitment flywheel turning.
• Avoiding Old Habits: Don’t rely on outdated job ads or recruitment materials. As your company grows and changes, your hiring approach should do the same. Keeping your materials up to date helps you attract the right candidates.

Reinforcing Culture through Storytelling:

• Use of Stories: Stories are a powerful way to convey your company’s culture. Highlighting positive examples of behavior that aligns with your culture can be more effective than simply listing values. These stories make your culture tangible and relatable to potential hires.
• Employee Testimonials: Including testimonials in your job ads can give potential candidates a real sense of what it’s like to work at your company. This ensures that the people who apply are more likely to be a good fit for your team.

Maintaining the momentum of your recruitment flywheel isn’t about constant tweaking or overanalyzing. It’s about ensuring that your culture is consistently communicated, regularly audited, and reinforced throughout every stage of the hiring process. When you get this right, your recruitment process will start to run on its own momentum, attracting the people who truly belong with your company.

But don’t just take my word for it—see how it all fits together.