A staggering 90 percent of job seekers state that it is important to them to work for a company that embraces transparency. Employees are already wary of management and how companies run, so opening up the communication methods to build trust will help job seekers feel invested with a company before even starting work there.
What Does It Mean to Be Transparent?
What exactly does it mean for a company to be transparent? There are many components that go into being transparent, such as social responsibility, compliance, and business priority. In the end, it all boils down to giving greater access to the information wanted, not just what is currently being provided. It is about honesty and open communication that makes everyone accountable for their actions and decisions. Companies with nothing to hide will have no problem adjusting their standards to be more transparent. There will be no fear of exposing or releasing difficult issues.
Open Your Doors to Employee Concerns
Employees will embrace transparency when they feel physically, emotionally, and financially safe. Fear of losing one’s job or increased pressure will not enable an environment where transparent communications can thrive. Employees need to feel that they can raise concerns over a mistake or weakness without fear of severe repercussions. Management needs to open their doors to allow conversations to take place that may involve risk on both sides.
Open Businesses Are Needed in an Open World
Social media has changed the concept of “need to know basis” to one where the truth always comes out. People around the globe are connected instantly, so they feel the need to share everything. This sharing may be in the form of product reviews, personal thoughts, political opinions, or photos of their happy moment that day. Whatever it is, people are not afraid to live their lives in the open. This transparency is driving the demand for the same level of transparency in other aspects of the world. People believe that because they live their lives in the open that businesses should too.
Trust Job Seekers, from the Beginning of the Hiring Process
The new generation is more skeptical of the traditional business model’s method of withholding or reshaping information to fill a need. Imagine the difference you would feel at a restaurant as a customer if you could see the entire meal prep process. There would be complete trust (assuming the meal is prepared using hygienic and sanitary means). Translate this example into other situations. Wouldn’t a job seeker feel more involved and excited about interviews with a company if they were informed of the process step by step instead of having to sit around for weeks to even find out if they were chosen for an interview and then sit around for a few more weeks to find out if they were selected for the job? Trust, even at the beginning level of the relationship between job seekers and employers will foster a stronger relationship once a job seeker becomes an employee.
Transparency Will Make Your Employees Happier
Employees place transparency in their interactions with different levels of management as the top influencer of their happiness and satisfaction in a company for a reason. A company that does not share its mission or values will have a hard time keeping employees around to work hard since there is no purpose in sight. It is just another example of this generation and their need to know about everything that is happening, especially when it affects their lives.
Transparency Needs to Start at the Top
Job seekers want to see management interacting personally in methods of communication. When they see more higher-up members of a company discussing aspects of the company on social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, they will be drawn to the company.
The example of transparency starting at the top will flow down to other levels of management and employees, who will then turn and share the company information on their own social media pages. Job seekers are likely to learn a lot about what the driving force behind a company is through the accounts of other employees at the company.
Transparency vs. Perks: Which Should You Focus on?
Many companies have turned to adding fun perks to their offices as a way of enticing the best talent to their teams, but the talent is turning around and stating that the type of work they do is more important than the way they get compensated. Job seekers want to work for a company they are invested in, which means they need to know what the company’s goals are. Having a party room or coffee bar in the office are great perks, but don’t matter much in a job that the person doesn’t understand the purpose to.
Conclusion
A survey done by Software Advice found that almost 30 percent of the respondents valued honesty/transparency, while only 11 percent said having a fun company culture would convince them to apply. Honesty/transparency won out over the categories of casual/relaxed, friendly, and family-oriented as well. The ability for a company to be any of the categories starts with honesty. A job seeker won’t see the value in a company that prides itself on being family-friendly if the company is not transparent in their policies that make them family-friendly. Be open and honest in your company communications, and you will find that employees and job seekers will respond in a very positive way.
See the following articles for more information:
