The Importance of Value Alignment For Remote Companies
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Discover the benefits of value alignment for remote companies and learn how to create a value alignment strategy to get this right in our guide now!
Value alignment is when the personal goals and values of your employees line up with your remote company’s values and mission.
When talking with remote job candidates, many say working for a company with a shared vision and purpose is now a top priority. So they’re increasingly looking for organizations that value transparency, encourage a healthy work-life balance, and give back.
Your remote company does all that, right?
So how are you letting your potential job candidates know this?
If you don’t have your values nailed down and displayed in the right places, your team might be missing out on the top applicants. Worse, they may be applying for roles with your competitors.
That’s why we’re diving into everything you need to create a winning value alignment strategy in this guide. You’ll learn how to stand out from other remote companies and attract the globe’s cream of the crop.
But before we get to the how-to, let’s explore why this is worth your team’s time and attention.
Why Value Alignment Matters More Than Ever for Remote Companies
The benefits of being a value-driven remote company give your team the ability to:
Attract the Right Candidates Faster
In our small corner of the remote universe, we saw over 3,000 new companies post a job on We Work Remotely, up 75% from just a year ago.
With that kind of growth, remote job candidates have more options and opportunities than ever -- especially the most talented ones. And that means it’s even harder to get your jobs noticed and applied to.
Fortunately, clearly summarizing your values and placing them front and center for job seekers helps you cut through the clutter. Then you’ll only attract high-quality candidates in alignment with those.
Boost Retention
When you hire people aligned with your company’s values, they’ll be more likely to enjoy working for your organization and stick around long-term.
Even better? People can put up with many bumps in the road if they feel as if they’re working on a team of like-minded people sharing the same mission.
Their belief in your big-picture vision motivates them to keep going, conquer all obstacles in their path, and reach all your goals.
Minimize Chances of Misalignment
If an employee does something that doesn’t align with your organization’s values, it could snowball into a much larger, more stressful issue.
Clearly defining your company’s core beliefs and goals may help prevent these headaches and keep everyone on the same page.
So now that you know why value alignment is mission-critical, let’s move on to:
How to Use Value Alignment To Stand Out As a Top Remote Company
These three simple steps will help you show remote job candidates whether your company’s values and mission mesh with theirs:
Step 1: Answer These Top Questions from Remote Candidates
During their search for new opportunities, our extensive remote community told us that they look at every remote company’s profile to answer three questions:
- How intentional is the company’s remote culture?
- What kind of remote company are they, and how long have they been operating remotely?
- What benefits and perks does the company offer?
So your first step is making sure your organization answers these questions.
To do that:
Imagine that you were a job candidate researching your company culture. Can you find your company culture clearly displayed on your organization’s website? Is it somewhere easily accessible, or did you have to hunt for it?
What’s the messaging like?
Does the company talk up a big game and use vague terms that sound exciting? Or does it back up the values it highlights with facts, examples, images, and quotes from its founders and employees?
Candidates are quick to pick up on whether companies are authentic and have genuine values versus those that only use fluff and trendy buzzwords.
Share your history. Can potential candidates see how long your company’s been around? Do you explain your remote terms (i.e., are you fully remote, hybrid, etc.)?
These important details can help people decide if your company is a good fit for their needs and experience. Knowing your team’s full of seasoned remote work pros can put their minds at ease and give them the confidence to apply.
Spotlight your employee perks and benefits. Your organization’s employee benefits and perks are probably listed somewhere on your careers portal (and if they’re not, that’s certainly a good idea).
But maybe it’s time to give them a fresh look from the eyes of a global candidate pool.
Are your benefits and perks really worthwhile? Do they only appeal to a small segment of candidates in one country, or does their awesomeness transcend borders? Could they be more inclusive?
In our guide on the best company benefits every remote team should get, we explored why it’s so vital to give your employees what they really want (hint: it’s not that difficult and delivers max engagement and job satisfaction).
The keyword many remote candidates look for is flexibility. They don’t want to get forced into rigid work schedules with little room for downtime, necessary recharging, and family time.
Aligning your employee benefits and perks with these types of values is how you’re going to become a top remote employer.
Get candidates excited about working for your company. After you refresh your employee benefits and perks, you’ll need to present them to potential applicants in a way that motivates them to hit that Apply Now button.
Have your team come up with a striking visual that easily explains these, with on-brand colors, enticing copy, and memorable images that draw candidates in.
Do not make your benefits page look like an afterthought your HR team just threw together.
Taking these extra steps here will ensure that top candidates stop and pay attention. After all, companies show how much they value their employees with attractive benefits. So show them why working for you will be better than working elsewhere.
Step 2: Share Your Values in These Strategic Places
So far we’ve talked about weaving your values throughout your website. But that’s really just the first place to put them.
You should also share your values:
On your social media channels. Add a post about your company values every so often in your social post rotations. This way your followers and potential job candidates learn more about your team and know exactly what your remote company stands for.
In your email marketing campaigns -- especially when new subscribers first sign up.
You never know if a potential applicant signs up for your emails just to get an insider feel for what your company’s really like. Great candidates will absolutely do this. So engage them with a peek at your values once in a while.
In your remote job ads. Fact: the best candidates won’t even make it to your website or social media channels if your values aren’t explicitly listed on your job ad.
With the number of options they have today, if they can’t immediately see how your company aligns with their values, they’ll quickly move on to the next remote company that does.
That’s why every job ad must stand out and lure candidates in to read more. And if you write ones that prioritize your mission and showcase your values, you’ll stop applicants right in their tracks and get on their Must-Apply-To list.
While you may not be able to list every detail, you should have enough room to discuss your core values and attract candidates in alignment with them.
People who need to learn more before deciding to apply can always head to your website to find additional details.
We believe in the power of value alignment so much that we decided to update our Company Live Profiles. Now remote companies can share their values the easy way (more on this next!).
Step 3: Use a Remote-Specific Job Board That Showcases Your Values
Since remote job candidates are asking the right questions, we wanted to provide a space where they could quickly find answers as they evaluate potential companies.
So we added two new features to our Company Live Profiles with remote job seekers in mind:
1. New Tabs. You’ll find a handful of new tabs here, including About, Culture, Benefits, and Hiring.
These help job candidates quickly learn more about where your company stands on each of those topics. They can also easily compare what your organization offers versus other potential employers.
Once they see that your values align, they’ll have more confidence to apply and present themselves as the right fit for your team. And you’ll have the first stage of vetting already done for you.
2. New Sidebar. The new sidebar lets you explain risk-reducing factors for job candidates, such as how long you’ve been in business and how big/small your company is.
These two features give job seekers everything they need to determine if your company is the right fit.
These new additions provide the perfect place for remote companies to share their values and show candidates what their company strives for and believes in. It will also automatically weed out candidates who don’t align with them, making life a bit easier.
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Psst! Learn how to optimize your company profile to stand out when you’re done here!
Now You’re Ready To Update Your Remote Company’s Value Alignment Strategy
After reading this guide, you now know the importance of value alignment for remote companies and all the benefits of using it. You also have a step-by-step game plan to get started with.
So there’s no excuse to backburner this task!
If you already have your organization’s values written down, it’s time to start using them to stand out and attract candidates in alignment with them today.
Post your remote job ad on We Work Remotely, and show our 3 million monthly global job seekers what your remote company values (and why you’re a top employer to work for)!
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