How To Use Books To Build A Strong Corporate Culture

Hiring a new employee is one of the most important decisions a business can make. As a computer services firm, many people may think we only look at resumes, education, and certifications. While the resume is extremely important, it’s not the only thing our leadership team considers when hiring a new staff member. Technology skills and processes can be taught to employees willing to learn. What’s also important to evaluate in the hiring process is a potential employee’s fit into your company’s culture.

Hiring someone who shares your company’s values, goals, business philosophies – and of course has a willingness to learn, respect for coworkers, and a sound educational background – is a great way to ensure the new staff member will be able to work well with existing employees, thrive in your company’s work environment, and be more likely to stay long term.

In order to best assimilate new hires to our company culture and work environment at Vision Computer Solutions, we have a list of required reading for all employees. This ensures that every employee is on the same page regarding common language, strategy, and business landscape. 

If you would like to start a book club of required readings at your company, we suggest first holding a training day to teach staff all the ins and outs of your business. A few years ago, we kicked off our book club by holding a two day training session to teach our employees everything about running an IT services company. Once your employees understand the inner workings of the business, they can begin to make more sound and efficient business decisions. It is important to include every aspect of the business in your training session – including departments such as accounting and marketing – so employees can truly understand exactly how the business operates. The materials used to conduct the training day can then be used for new employee training, speeding the ramp up period for newly hired staff. 

Once employees are brought up to speed on business operations, you can establish a list of required readings. Required reading is essential to successful workforce alignment. When the entire staff uses the same language, employs the same philosophies, and understands the strategies driving everyday business decisions, the whole company can work cohesively and efficiently.