Suppose a company produces computers today. In that case, the next product launch is expected to get improved by 10x, and if it will not, someone else will achieve that. Companies will need to innovate and move faster than their competitors. The engineering teams’ primary focus is to learn, build new tools to try things quickly. It will be extremely challenging if you don’t have the talents that share your values & purpose, you will be out of business.
Values-match increases productivity
The quality of the services delivered by a company is as good as those providing it. The company is a lot of individual talents working together, creating a collective intelligence. When each of them leaves, the company will cease to exist. So rather than looking for just that excellent programmer that can write many codes, you should try to see if he/she resonates with the company and team values. When you find engineers going in the same direction and value what you value, it is easier to tell them what goals they have to achieve. You also get each of the team members encouraging one another to be the best version of themselves.
Rather than looking for just that excellent programmer that can write many codes, you should try to see if he/she resonates with the company and team values.
New world, new requirements
Studies show that the younger generation has higher requirements for employers regarding values and contribution to society from Sweden and other countries. The survey shows that today’s young people want the employer to offer a sense of deeper belonging with colleagues and that their values align with one’s own. It’s now up to you as an employer to communicate effectively about your company and team values with the talents you want to attract.
Putting engineers in a group does not make them a team. A team begins to be built when there is a clear common mission to achieve with shared values and goals
Covid-19 has pushed many people to reflect on their values. People ask themselves the questions: What do I contribute? I’m happy with my job today? For companies hiring engineers should turn the hiring process upside down. Putting engineers in a group does not make them a team. A team begins to be built when there is a clear common mission to achieve with shared values and goals. So, if you only do objective assessments on subjective beings, you are probably biased. Engineers can quickly learn a new skill, but they cannot learn to love a company when there is a values mismatch.
Values to consider
Different workplaces prioritize different values. The benefits a company chooses must always be in line with the company culture. If a company wants to create innovative teams and attract super, total talent, consider the values below:
Inclusion & belonging:
The leaders are committed to building a diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace. From recruiting to training and advancement, the emphasis is on providing a supportive environment for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, disability, or ethnicity.
Questions to ask
- What is the existing makeup of your workforce? What is the distribution of women and underrepresented groups across levels and functions
- How do you measure and evaluate the impact of diversity and Inclusion on business performance
- How are the inclusion and belonging strategy supported in your organization? (e.g., accountability, percentage of the overall budget allocated)
- How do top leaders and managers set the tone?
Fosters psychological safety:
A strong belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, taking risks, concerns, or mistakes. Amy Edmondson, professor at Harvard Business School, was first to identify the concept of psychological safety in work teams.
Questions to ask
- During weekly check-ins, do you set aside time for engineers to share their experiences, challenges, and concerns?
- How do you promote healthy conflict where ideas are debated rather than judged, and engineers don’t hesitate to bring even their whacky ideas?
- Do managers hold conversations asking team members their preferred work, communication, and feedback styles?
- Is there any forum where engineers share how they are doing and feeling, mostly related to the distress experienced due to the current coronavirus pandemic?
Working on these questions can help differentiate you from other companies when hiring. It will give you a real advantage to attract superstar engineers to take your company to the next level. With so many value-driven engineers in the workforce now, companies cannot miss out on how to most effectively reach them.
