Salary is without a doubt one of the biggest deciding factors for an employee to work for a company. However, what may be equally important is the culture within the company which is also known as organizational culture. According to John McLaughlin from study.com, organizational culture is defined as “a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which governs how people behave in organizations”. Organizational culture encompasses the intended “personality” that employees of the company expresses to their customers.
Organizational culture is important for a company as it sets what the behavioural norm is for employees and how the company intends their customers to view their brand. The Human Resources department is responsible for hiring potential employees that will reflect the company’s culture. Therefore, when choosing to hire potential candidates for their respective companies, Human Resources does not solely look at a person’s merits and qualifications, but they also look at a candidate’s personality to see if it encompasses the company’s values and culture. We can see the degree of importance companies hold their cultures on their websites. Most career pages on company websites include their core values to find the most suitable candidates for their company. For example, on Southwest Airline’s career page, they outline their company values which are to have: a Warrior’s Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a Fun LUV-ing attitude.
“A Culture of ‘LUV’ at Southwest Airlines (Part 1)” is a blog written by Max Chopovsky from Chicago Creative Space and he discusses how Southwest Airline’s culture of a fun-luving attitude is vital to their success. Their culture has made the airline rated as having one of the best customer service and consistently landing on the Best Place to Work and Most Admired Company list. The culture at Southwest Airlines allows employees to share their fun personality at work which in turn enhances the customer experience. Southwest Airlines is well-known for their hilarious safety briefings which is made possible through the encouragement of having a fun loving attitude.
Sources
- http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-organizational-culture-definition-characteristics.html
- https://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/careers/culture.html
- http://chicagocreativespace.com/a-culture-of-luv-at-southwest-airlines/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuP6-CUR0U4