Communicate cultural values up front
Make sure people know from the very beginning that knowledge sharing is a priority at your company. During the first stages of the interview process, screen for a candidate’s ability to work effectively as part of a team and positively impact others.
Here are some questions that help assess a candidate’s ability in this area:
1. Tell me about a colleague or manager you admire. What qualities do you try to emulate?
2. Tell me about a team dynamic that just wasn’t working for you and others. What did you learn from that?
3. What do you need from your team members in order to be successful?
It’s also important to communicate how your benefits encourage teaching, mentoring, and learning. Consider implementing L&D (learning and development) stipends, frequent “lunch and learns,” or book clubs on relevant business topics.
Identify and recognize the real MVPs
From the CEO down to the entry-level analyst, everyone’s an expert at something. Identify the core contributors and process experts across all functions and encourage them to share their unique insights with others.
Once you know where knowledge lives, celebrate individuals who demonstrate knowledge sharing with shout-outs on Slack, verbal kudos in team meetings, and implementing other forms of informal recognition like surprise gifts or swag. No idea is too simple. Integrating knowledge-sharing recognition opportunities into your day-to-day operating cadence will reinforce its importance, create connectivity within your teams, and incentivize thanking others for their help.