Company Culture - What's Right
For You?
Landing a great job is not just about getting an offer and earning
a paycheck. Loving your job is about finding the right company
culture for you. It's about working in an environment aligned with
your values and beliefs. Working at a company with values inconsistent
with yours is stressful and unrewarding. The quality of your work
life is also directly correlated to your supervisor's attitudes,
values, and beliefs. A person's values significantly affect their
behavior and hence how you are treated. No matter how great the
position, if you're working in a caustic, understaffed, and unethical
culture, you'll feel unfulfilled.
The job interview is your opportunity to assess the work environment
and organizational norms. But how can you assess the culture while
you're being interviewed?
Organizational culture is composed of the values, behaviors, beliefs,
and norms that permeate the group. Culture is expressed through
words and behaviors of each employee. Culture is like a recipe
where each person is an ingredient. Company or department leadership
set the overall tone.
Interviewers say "the candidate fits" or "doesn't
fit" to describe a candidate's qualifications. What interviewers
are really saying is the candidate fits or doesn't fit the company
culture.
To perpetuate corporate culture, companies hire people they feel "fit" and
reject qualified candidates whom they believe "don't fit" their
culture. During each interview, you have an opportunity to assess
how the culture aligns with your values. Rarely will you find an
environment totally aligned with your values. You can however,
find organizations where the culture and your values can coexist.
Clues
to company culture are found in interviewer behavior and their
words. Below is a list of organizational cultural indicators.
- How you are treated?
- What phrases are frequently used by the interviewers?
- Is there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions you're
asked?
- How does the environment feel to you?
- How prepared are the interviewers? Are they on time?
- Were you given an interview schedule?
- Were you treated like a prisoner or a guest?
- Are your responses
to their questions treated with suspicion or professional curiosity?
- How considerate is the company recruiter?
Questions you can ask about organizational culture are listed
below.
- Please describe the company or department culture in three
words or three phrases.
- How does the company (team) handle conflict
or differing opinions?
- How does the company recognize employee accomplishments?
- Does the company have a "Code of Ethics?
- Please describe the leadership or managerial style at your
company?
- What qualities do the most successful employees in your
company possess?
- What is the company's attitude towards professional and
educational advancement?
Job interviews are business events where your talents are evaluated.
Interviews are also your opportunity to evaluate how the company's
culture compliments your values.
Source: Michael R. Neece, CEO Interview Mastery
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