More than two-thirds (67 percent) of employers say a candidate’s cultural fit is ‘very important’ when looking for new staff, according to research released from totaljobs. Comment Matthew Harradine, Director – totaljobs

In a recent study, totaljobs talked to over 100 employers and found that only 1 percent said cultural fit was not important in the hiring process. This is compared to almost 1 in 5 employers who say they wouldn’t hire a candidate if they were not the right cultural fit for their organisation.

When it comes to their culture, there is agreement amongst employers, with 78 percent describing their culture as friendly. This is significantly higher than 47 percent which describe it as professional.

Matthew Harradine, director at totaljobs, comments: “With new, innovative and collaborative ways of working, company culture is becoming increasingly important at all stages of the recruitment process. Having an attractive company culture can help to attract and retain staff, and our recent report shows a clear link between a strong company culture and happy, more efficient employees.

“Much like reputation, company culture takes a long time to build but can be broken in an instant. It’s important, therefore, to not rock the boat with new hires – they must fit in with the company culture you’ve created.”

The study also revealed just how important company culture is to retaining employees, as well as hiring them in the first place. Over three-quarters (76 percent) of employers said cultural fit helps to improve staff retention, while 70 percent said it improves job satisfaction. 64 percent said it makes work a more fun place to be for everyone, while 60 percent said it even increases productivity and it makes employees more committed.

Darren Norfolk, Managing Director at Rackspace UK said, “Our ‘Rackers’ spend most of their day in the office, so making sure that they are satisfied and motivated to deliver our Fanatical Support to customers is something we are all committed to, right from our senior leaders down. Creating a pleasant office environment is vital to entice staff, retain them and provide them with the tools and space they need to do their jobs successfully.”

Paul Steadman, Head of HR at Purina Petcare said: “We want to attract and retain the best talent to the business and enable our people to benefit from our culture to experience the enjoyment and enhanced work/life blend that we believe pets at work brings. It has also encouraged interaction and socialisation between colleagues who may not otherwise have crossed paths.” In order to improve company culture, employers have offered their top tips, which include: Encouraging a positive team atmosphere (76 percent); Recognising and rewarding great work (57 percent); Encouraging strong relationships (54 percent); Improving communication (51 percent);Acting as a role model to employees (50 percent).