Workplace culture is the environment that surrounds us whilst at work. It comprises the common values, beliefs and attitudes of staff in a shared workplace. It is shaped largely by the leadership team and the organisational policies and procedures they implement. Caring workplace culture has been shown to improve relations between employer and employees, which reduces stress, raises morale and in turn leads to more effective team-working, increased productivity & efficiency and greater retention of staff.
In order to breed a positive, caring workplace culture, Forbes tells us that employers must first establish clear organisational norms and values, which are communicated effectively to employees and future employees. Honesty and integrity are key attributes every reputable organisation wants to promote.
It’s not enough, however, to simply pay lip service to this. Robust screening sets the tone to prospective employees right from the start so that current and future employees feel an individual and personal responsibility towards promoting these values. Criminal records checks, qualification verification and referencing checks all help to ensure that your new hires meet your requirements and will enhance your team.
To really help to strengthen your organisation’s culture of care though, combine traditional background screening with more up-and-coming screening practices, such as adverse media and social media checks. These checks not only give your recruiting team a more complete candidate profile during the onboarding process, but they also communicate clearly to candidates that your organisation expects the highest standards from its employees, both inside and outside of work.
This is particularly relevant given that a global study into workplace-related social media misconduct by Proskauer Rose LLP found that some 70% of businesses reported taking disciplinary action against employees for social media misuse, of which 64% related to harassment, or employees making disparaging comments about other staff members or the organisation itself.
By weeding out candidates with a documented history of such undesirable behaviour, adverse media checks and social media screening establish a safer working environment for all, where staff members can be confident that their colleagues and employers really do care about their wellbeing.
When developing a caring workplace culture, your company needs actively engaged team members who believe in that culture too and who want to play their part to foster and sustain it. The most capable candidates will seek out organisations that accept and value them, and utilising robust screening practices throughout your onboarding process is a proven strategy to demonstrate your commitment to building a safe, honest and open community and operating a set of company values that breed a culture of care.
Choose from the comprehensive range of pre-employment screening checks offered by Secure Screening Services to set a precedent of workplace happiness and inclusion which will attract a talented, productive and efficient workforce that will remain committed to your business for the long term.
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