Are You Attracting the People Your Culture Deserves?
Why getting recruitment and retention wrong is costing family businesses more than they realise
When the Wrong People Hold You Back
Not long ago, I spoke to a family business that prided itself on being “like a family” - supportive, loyal, and values-driven.
But scratch the surface, and a different story emerged.
They had aligned values. They had a strong culture. On paper, things looked great.
Yet in their rush to fill roles as their business had rapidly expanded, they’d brought in people who didn’t align with the ‘feel’ of the company.
🚫 The skills matched the job description
🚫 But the behaviours didn’t fit the culture
🚫 And customers started to notice a difference in approach
Conflict grew, morale dipped, and higher than usual turnover started to become a real issue. Recruitment and training costs rose significantly - all because they hadn’t fully connected their values and culture to the way they attracted and retained talent.
Because here’s the thing:
Once your values, leadership and culture are aligned, the next step is making sure you leverage that alignment to attract, retain, and engage your people.
People Are the Living Proof of Your Values
Your people are your culture in action. They’re the first and last experience your customers have with your business.
So ask yourself:
Do you actively recognise and reward those who role model your values?
Do you showcase your values and culture in your recruitment campaigns?
Are you using real stories and videos to show why your business is such a unique place to work?
Do you know if your values resonate with the talent you want to attract?
Do you recruit not only for skills - but for cultural fit and future potential?
Family businesses often have a unique advantage here. Your heritage, your story, and your values make you different. But only if you fully embrace them as a core part of your employer brand.
The Hidden Costs of Misaligned People
Family businesses often pride themselves on loyalty - and rightly so. But that loyalty can sometimes hold you back.
Too often, I see family businesses hesitate to tackle underperformance or poor cultural fit. They give people endless chances to improve, hoping time, training, or goodwill will turn things around.
But in reality:
🚫 The team grows frustrated carrying the extra weight
🚫 High performers disengage or leave
🚫 The culture slips - and customers feel it
What starts as patience quickly becomes a hidden liability.
This isn’t about being ruthless. It’s about recognising that protecting your culture sometimes means making the tough decisions. And doing that early can save far greater costs down the line.
Turning People Into Your Differentiator
Through my Values to Profit Audit, I help family businesses connect the dots between values, culture, and people. Together, we:
Define the people attributes that truly align with your values
Describe your values in a way that will resonate with the people you want to attract, especially the younger generation
Build recruitment processes that filter for both skills and cultural fit
Design onboarding that embeds values from day one
Develop leaders who know how to retain and engage talent in line with your culture
And ensure succession planning isn’t just a technical handover - but a cultural one too
When you get this right, you don’t just fill roles; you build a team that fuels growth, strengthens your competitive edge and drives profit.
Quick Action: The Fit Check
Take 10 minutes this week with your leadership team and ask:
“Would we rehire everyone in our team tomorrow if we could?”
“Do our people enhance our culture - or do some of them dilute it?”
“Are we doing enough to attract and keep people who thrive and perform in our culture?”
The answers will tell you how much hidden potential - or hidden cost - sits in your people strategy right now.
Let’s Talk
If you want to stop firefighting people issues and start building teams who live your values and truly drive results, let’s talk.
📅 Book your free 45-minute Values and People Exploration Call
Together, we’ll explore how to attract and retain the people who will grow your business.
Coming Next Time:
Once your values, leadership, culture, and people are aligned, the next step is turning that strength outward.
How do you translate it into a customer experience that wins trust, differentiates you in the market, and drives profitable growth?