Wickland Westcott

Embedding Values in Recruitment

Every CEO worth their salt knows the importance of setting the right tone within their operation. Yet actions speak louder than words, so how can one breathe life into written words describing the organisation’s values? Wickland Westcott has been working closely with Purina Petfoods to help embed its values deep within the business.

Purina, part of Nestlé family of businesses, is one of the world's leading pet care companies. Their dedication to pets and their owners directs everything they do. Pets are frequently seen within head office as staff there are encouraged to bring dogs to work. This distinctive business has continued to maintain sales through difficult trading conditions.

Following a review of its strategy, Purina decided to revisit its corporate values. Recognising the need to back its words with deeds, Managing Director Stuart Irvine announced plans to implement values-based recruitment, and the organisation turned to Wickland Westcott to help bring this objective to life.

Our first task was to understand the precise meaning behind each value. As an established partner to Nestlé, we were familiar with their existing competencies and processes, and so we set about preparing a practical recruitment tool, and defining clear communications to explain what values-based recruitment meant. This included publishing clear answers to such important questions as:

• What is the difference between a competency and a value?
• Why do values matter, as long as people can do what is required
• Can people develop values?
  (See below for our thoughts on these fundamental questions)

The end result was a package including a comprehensive Values Based Interview Guide (VBIG), incorporating a range of different question styles to be used at various stages in the recruitment process. The depth of assessments was significantly increased through the inclusion of Saville Consulting’s WAVE questionnaire, with each of its personality dimensions painstakingly mapped by Wickland Westcott onto Purina’s values. A battery of structured probe questions was also prepared to explore relevant profile patterns, and a training course was designed and run to communicate the process to recruitment and HR specialists.

The results so far have been very encouraging. An initial validation exercise indicates that candidates are impressed with the depth of their assessment, whilst line managers and HR people report a visible improvement in the 'fit' of those selected. It is still too early to measure the impact of the process on staff turnover or performance, but positive evidence concerning staff morale is already evident, despite the tough economic climate.  12 months later, a second version of the VBIG has been produced, with fresh questions to keep the process current.

What is the difference between a competency and a value? Competencies describe what an individual can and cannot do. Values are deeply held beliefs. What people believe influences their actions, and values therefore drive the behaviours that people are naturally, automatically and inherently motivated to do. When we behave in line with our values we feel comfortable, energised, and draw satisfaction from what we are doing, rather than feeling awkward or compelled. We feel more at home when we work for an organisation that shares our value set. People may have the ability to demonstrate competencies that are not consistent with their values. However, they will typically resort back to behaving in line with their values when under pressure, tired, or faced with unfamiliar situations.

Why do values matter, as long as people can do what is required? Defining the organisation’s values and talking about them with candidates will help identify those people who fit with the organisation. Such individuals are more likely to settle quickly, stay for longer and demonstrate the required behaviours more frequently. People who have the required competencies but don’t share the values will feel constrained and less comfortable at work. Using values in recruitment therefore helps organisations to select people who share the same mindset, making the organisation more cohesive and united.

Can people develop values? With great difficulty. In the general course of life and work people’s values tend to remain constant. Values are deeply embedded, forged over years by experience and background. Life changing events can have an impact on values if they fundamentally shift what the person sees/hears/feels to be important.