We’re Not Google, and We’re Not Going To Be

We’re Not Google, and We’re Not Going To Be

We’re bored stiff of businesses telling us they’re ‘just like Google’ to attract talent. Because A, you’re not, so let’s just be real for a second. And B, why do you want to be?

It won’t help you attract the talent your organization needs. All it will do is attract a bunch of people who want to work at Google, and who will probably leave you for the next job that offers a bigger ping pong table or lunch time surfing lessons or afternoon Quidditch games. Or something like that.

As the emphasis on culture has soared in our professional world, businesses are competing with each other to offer candidates incredible perks, each one more outrageous than the next. But what if your business can’t afford a breakfast bar every morning, or dolphin rides every quarter? Google can afford the employee perks it has because it has an obscene amount of money that other businesses can only dream of. But here’s the thing so many organizations are missing – you don’t have to be like Google to attract incredible employees.

People want to belong to something

The reason so many people are flocking to startups and smaller companies is because they want to belong. Working at a large one can feel a lot like floating around in a sea of faces, with no real sense of community or family. When hiring for your business, make sure you can communicate that sense of belonging, and you’ll already be closing your candidate. It’s exactly the same reason why civic clubs, advocacy groups, and fraternities work so well; people like to be a part of something. They thrive when they belong. If you can create a culture that has that family, community, alumni, feel, you’ll have created a lasting environment. It doesn’t matter what company perks your competitor has, people trump perks every single time.

If you can create a culture that has that family, community, alumni, feel, you’ll have created a lasting environment. Click To Tweet

Stand in your truth

The reason why the ‘just like Google’ line fails is because it’s a lie, and the people who engage with your business can see right through it. History has always favored the people who dare to stand up and be different, which is exactly what you should be doing. Instead of trying to be something you’re not, standing up and proudly asserting all the things you are is an incredibly powerful tool. When you’re truthful, your audience can sense it, and in this world of slogans, logos and taglines, people are craving some good old fashioned honesty. That clarity and honesty will take you further than any ping pong table ever could.

We’re not kids, but we still want to play

Businesses often underestimate the importance of play. If you’re truthful about who you are, and you’ve created an environment of family and friendship, the playtime will come naturally as a result. And by playtime we don’t mean a foosball table, but instead the things you do as a business together, outside of the walls of your office. After work drinks, dinner nights out, Holiday parties, sports days and numerous other events that involve fun, laughter and relaxation. Showing your candidates that you are a business who understands the importance of play is one of the best indicators that you’re a great place to work and strengthens your employment brand. You don’t need beanbags and forty-seven different awards, you just need a string of staff nights out and a team always willing to go out of their way for their co-workers to tell you how great a place you actually are to work for.

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