March is over, but the madness HR deals with never ends. Fortunately, your organization’s core values can be a real game-changer in the competition for top talent. In a recent episode of the HR Break Room podcast, Kinetix CHRO Kris Dunn discussed the valuable lessons HR can learn from the annual college hoops competition.
Here is a sampling of our conversation on why core values matter – in basketball and in business.
The margins for talent are small
When recruiting high-quality talent, organizations actually compete on a tight playing field, and like a single-elimination tournament, hiring is a one-and-done process. When an organization edges out other companies in the quest for top talent, it ultimately has the advantage over competitors, and may even move up to face much larger businesses as a result.
In college basketball today, nearly all universities that advance to the final games have chosen to grow their teams over several years, instead of recruiting superstars who play for one season before going pro. In developing talent for the long term, your organization can succeed against the competition too.
Define and promote core values to attract top talent
Compare a successful business to any winning basketball team, and you will find a common thread: well-defined core values. This year’s tourney winner, Villanova, places a high value on learning and development by retaining players for multiple years. The value of practical education permeates the entire organization. Consequently, Villanova has a great skills development program.
When defining core values for your organization, it’s important to determine which traits support overarching strategic goals. Once these values have been determined, communicate and promote them to the outside world so you can attract talented individuals who share those values. To create the best possible experience for prospective candidates, these values must be transparent and consistently demonstrated within the organization.
Know what makes your organization special
No two teams play the same way. Some apply pressure to opponents; some play a specific type of zone defense; and still others want to run out the clock. Similarly, each top-performing organization has its own unique company culture, driven by its core values.
Take any sample of American companies, and you’ll find various ways to make decisions, assign responsibility and define success. Differing approaches to culture directly reflect the core values of each organization, because your culture is born from the values most consistently on display.
For an entire organization to own its culture and core values, HR must invest in the company’s desired identity, and encourage leaders to go “all in.” This can help differentiate your organization from other companies competing for top talent, and give you an edge in identifying and recruiting prospective employees likely to make valuable contributions from day one.
Enjoy this article? check out Swish! 5 Talent Lessons I’ve Already Learned From the NCAA Tournament This March