Chapter 7: Recruit for Attitude, Induct for Culture

Overview

Recruitment is very much a two-way process in a great company. ‘Get to know us and see if you really want the job' is just as important as discovering if the prospective colleague suits the business need.

I asked Jack Lowe how they find people who will work well at TD Industries.

Most people will. No one likes working in a coercive leadership model - they just don't know what else to do.

This is true of all the great companies: most people would love to work there. Microsoft have so many applicants for each role, they had to find ways of cutting down the workload of sorting and interviewing. As a result, they give plenty of information early on so that people can see when the job does not suit them. And imagine how Flight Centre felt when their applications increased by 200 per cent after being named as third best company to work for in the UK.

It is hard work being so popular - but then you also get the pick of the bunch, so to make the best of the opportunity, an effective system of interviewing is essential.

If you just want ‘bums on seats', this chapter will be no use to you at all. But then the ‘bum on the seat' may not be either! Recruiting to great company culture is a lot more complex than getting headcount. It is business-critical, supporting and maintaining a culture that gets the best out of people, ensuring bottom-line success and excellent customer service. Looked at in that way, filled seats are the least of it.