I was inspired by a conversation that i recently had around what is important for teams and building the right culture in the current environment where things are hybrid/not quite back to normal and are incredibly competitive.

For a recent posting, there were over 200+ applicants to the role. What made this organisation stand out? What was important for the applicants? Was it purely salary? Or were there deeper things going on?

After discussing the strategy and doing some informal research via my LinkedIn profile and network, I’ve discovered the following trends and ideas.

• Investment in personal development/willingness to develop the individual on company time
• Flexible working /hybrid opportunities
• A good team culture where:
  • There’s no bullying/favouritism
  • Work/life balance is respected
  • Appreciation of the individual and team are key
• Transparency about working practices/current company situation
  • What’s going well? How are we doing as a team?
  • Management being open /willing to ask for feedback in these opportunities
  • Is everyone treated the same (where appropriate)
  • How many people have left the company recently and why
• Salary transparency/ Glass door ratings
  • How is the company really viewed? Are women paid fairly in comparison to their male counterparts?
  • What really goes on in the company?

This list really got me thinking about how i can best position any vacancy within my organisation but also where my organisation might need to step up a little to help be transparent about working practices/how we work and thrive. It’s a result of this, that i petitioned to have our adverts become more inclusive and we change the wording/emphasis on what we’re looking for down to the core criteria (e.g. are you a real Project Manager? Or have you just got limited exposure but no real experience?).

I’d love to hear whether you agree with this or whether you have different ideas.