Fitting in with the culture of the workplace is essential for performing well and enjoying job satisfaction. Every organization has a unique organizational culture.
What Is Meant by the Company Culture?
The culture of the company is created from the values and beliefs held by individual leaders. These values and beliefs are translated into behaviors, goals, and policies and they spread across the whole company. The culture is made up of informal things like water cooler chat as well as formal things like a mission statement. Every company, no matter what size, has a corporate culture.
Being a part of an organization whose culture matches your work style is important. It helps foster your productivity and creativity and enjoy a successful career. It is easy to work in a place where the values and goals are a perfect fit for you. If the culture is not suitable for you then work can become torturous.
Key Aspects of Company Culture
It is essential to understand the cornerstones of corporate culture while evaluating a new position. It will let you know whether the workplace is good for you or not. Here are the areas of corporate culture that you should assess while considering employment opportunities.
Basic job satisfaction
Consider the level of happiness among existing employees. Does the workplace culture promote the cultivation of respect and loyalty? Is the percentage of turnover high because of the high ratio of unhappy employees? You can find the opinion of existing and old employees by checking reviews on websites like LinkedIn.
Company culture: Balancing work and life
Is work-life balance encouraged by the management of the company? Do supervisors respect a regular work schedule or do they often demand overtime work? Is there any flexibility in working hours or the option of remote working available? Is there a possibility of job sharing or doing a part-time job? In case of overtime, does the company compensate with extra time off? Does the job come with many perks like concierge services?
Productivity and collaboration
Working together is crucial in good working culture, so the team member must understand the importance of collaboration. See if communication is honest, clear, and transparent from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy. Does the manager speak respectfully about the peers and subordinates? Are the goals clearly stated? Does the organization support the employees and set them up for success?
Company culture: Proactive leadership
There should be unity in the company and agreement on a common set of goals, values, and beliefs. Their values and goals must support innovation and productivity and the management must stay true to the company’s culture. Look for signs that let you know that leadership is following the corporate ideals established by them. Is everyone, including the supervisors held accountable for negligence?
Comfortable work environment
The office space is a vital part of organizational culture. It affects the performance of the employees. Make sure that you are comfortable in the position that you work in. Check to see if the workplace allows you to bring your pet or play a game at lunch or if is it a quieter and strictly professional environment. These are essential things to know as you will be spending about nine hours in the office daily.
Questions About Organizational Culture in Interviews
Finding an organization that can bring out your best traits is not easy. Inspiring you to be the best is not an easy task. The interview process can offer useful insight into the company. It will let you know if the organization is disorganized and operates strictly by the book or not.
While preparing for the interview, come up with questions you can ask the interviewer that cover the culture of the company.
Here are six questions that can get you the information you are looking for:
What is the best thing you like about working in the organization?
You can ask the potential coworker what is their favorite thing about the company. It helps determine whether it is a supportive environment or not. It also tells you if there are growth opportunities or not. If you do not get a chance to ask any questions during the interview then it tells you that questions are not welcomed in the culture of the organization.
What is the general office schedule followed by the employees?
The stated schedule can be 9 to 5 but that does not mean that it is strictly followed. The answer will offer insight into work-life balance and the ways management deals with busy periods.
What possible traits were responsible for the success of a previous employee in the position you are interviewing for?
The question can provide a lot of useful information. It will let you learn the traits prioritized by the manager.
What should you know before starting at the company?
Asking this question gives the interviewers a chance to share their experience of their time in the organization. The question will also lead to sharing what significant things they have learned about adapting to the work environment. It allows learning from other people’s mistakes.
The question allows the interviewer to sell their company to the interviewee. They share their values and beliefs and things that employees are proud of. What qualities or traits are prioritized by the company leadership?
Is there anything you would want to change about the company?
It is an insightful and subtle question. You are asking whether the interviewer has any ideas to make changes that will make the organization even a better place to work.
Conclusion
Asking these questions is helpful. Apart from the questions, you should also be observant. Make sure you take in everything in your surroundings. Be subtle in consulting with people about the realities and reputation of the company. The research will allow you to see the true picture of the workplace and not the one presented by the management. To evaluate the company’s culture, it’s important to know individual priorities, goals, and working styles. Be attentive, be a good listener, and do not be afraid to ask questions to evaluate the place and make fully informed decisions about the job opportunity.
Sam Najar, MBA
MBA from the Australian Institute of business. Over a decade working for IBM Australia and Oracle Europe and the Middle East. Worked on Artificial Intelligence technology for many years and believes that technology can help everyone better understand his/her personality and find the job they deserve.
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