Nowadays, what do folks on a job hunt have in common with frontline HR experts trying to improve employee retention? They are always talking about company culture.

In the past, you chose to apply for a job based on simple things: job security, possibilities of progression within the company, or a juicy salary package. Of course, those elements are still important, but aligned company culture is swiftly taking centre stage when it comes to picking a company and staying with a company.

Why is company culture important?

Company culture includes work environment, values that drive the organization’s actions and decisions, modes of communication, beliefs and behaviours of individuals, and ways of building work relationships.

You always have a culture— it’s simply a matter of building a strong, positive, diverse one (that aligns with your company’s vision) rather than a poor one that will create conflict and drive people away.

Why is culture more important than ever? Professionals— especially desirable top talent with more options— are looking for a work environment that aligns with their personal values and purpose. A place and people that make them feel appreciated, comfortable, motivated. It correlates to retention and performance. And they’re using in-depth, crowdsourced tools like Glassdoor to get all the deets.

An industry survey found that the perception of strong company culture means 84% happy employees and 86% employees that feel appreciated  by the organisation.

Steps to creating a company culture that attracts the best talent:

If you want to attract top talent and get ahead of the competition, you’ve got to have it and also flaunt it. These are our three experience-driven tips to strengthen your company’s culture.

1. Define the culture.

Get together with the leadership and have an open conversation about the values and beliefs that drive the company.

What do you value? What beliefs, standards, and behaviours align with the company’s goals and mission? What values are visible in the current state of affairs? Does the real match the ideal?

After you’ve defined your culture in a few short words and statements, communicate it to your employees (and to each other!) constantly— in the hiring process, in team meetings, in documents, in new projects— with both your actions and your words.

2. Live the culture.

The most effective kind of leadership is leadership by example. If you talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, chances are employees will see right through you and the company’s culture will stay flimsy.

How can leadership work to solidify it? Think of how managers support employees— are their growth and ongoing training taken seriously? Are people treated honestly and kindly? Do you work together to make progress and celebrate the wins together?

3. Show off the culture.

Once you’re working to build a strong, positive environment, it’s time to show it. Here, social media is your friend— but so is transparency.

It makes no sense to pretend like everything’s peachy when your Glassdoor reviews point to glaring issues like toxicity, negative competition, or poor communication. You want to stay real but also highlight the positives: work to become and show the place people want to work.

Happy employees that feel appreciated are employees that stay, perform, and love your company right back.