Table of Contents:
Intro
Hello! It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress podcast. Today, I’ll be talking about how to uncover the culture of a company. So we’re all on the same page, I’ll start by sharing what I mean by company culture.
What is Company Culture?
The culture of a company is essentially the way things work or the way things get done. Ideally, a company’s culture is guided by its values. The rituals, habits, and ceremonies of a company make up the culture. A small company likely has one unifying culture, while large corporations have subcultures, which form anytime a group of people share something in common. For example, the cybersecurity team in a large company has a shared identity and mission and its own culture. Keep in mind that culture is not static, but something that evolves when there are changes to leadership or employees, policies, and goals.
Why Company Culture Matters
Before I dive into the story and tips sections of this episode, I will mention why company culture matters briefly. When employees fit into the culture of a company, they not only feel more comfortable, like they are at their home away from home, but they are happier, more engaged, and more productive. Employers care about culture fit and hire people they believe will fit in the culture. But it’s not just an employer concern! It’s something you should consider when you are looking for a new job, too! When I was teaching Business English classes on Italki, many of my students were motivated to learn English so that they could get a different job. Their motivation almost always stemmed from wanting a different work culture.
Story
So when I help people prepare for interviews in English, I ask a lot of questions about what they know about the company culture and their preferences regarding the culture of a company. I ask questions like, “Why do you want to leave your current company?” “Why do you want to work for the company?” “What have you learned about the company culture?” and “Is there anything that concerns you about the company?” In the story section of this episode, I’ll share the gist of what they said.
First up, “Why do you want to leave your current company?”
I’m an engineer, and most of my coworkers are men. As a woman, I don’t feel like they see me as one of them. It’s hard to get my ideas heard. Plus, I have a new boss, and he’s hard on me. Every time I tell him I’m going to leave work by 6:30 pm for a yoga class, he invites me to join a last-minute meeting before I head out the door. It always seems like the meetings aren’t necessary. While I don’t have to attend the meeting, I know he expects me to.
Here’s another answer I’ve heard.
I know I just started working here, but there has been next to no training, and the company promised there would be substantial training during my interviews. It’s been a complete sink or swim situation. I’m way out of my comfort zone. I’ve voiced my concerns, but my supervisor has told me that’s just the way things work around here. Then, she gave me a dense technical manual to read that’s way over my head.
Here’s another answer I’ve heard.
I’m expected to go out for drinks with my boss often, and it’s putting a strain on my marriage. My team works long hours, and it’s an invitation we can’t turn down. I mean, I’m not even much of a drinker, so it’s getting old.
Here’s another answer I’ve heard.
The hours are killing me! I’m completely over all the company travel. I’m exhausted and need to find a job where I work fewer hours.
Alright, now, let’s look at an answer I’ve heard to the question, “Why do you want to work for the company?” So, we’re looking ahead now.
Well, it’s a company known for its bottom-up decision-making style. Where I work, it’s a top-down decision-making style. I have ideas, but I don’t get to contribute much at my level. I want to work somewhere that I can share my ideas.
Now, let’s look at an answer I’ve heard to the question, “What have you learned about the company culture?”
I’ve heard that employees have a work-life balance. My son is a toddler, and I want to spend more time with him and my wife.
Finally, let’s look at an answer I’ve heard to the question, “Is there anything that concerns you about the company?” Just a warning, the answer is a doozy!
Yes, I’ve heard that sometimes employees jump out of the windows to their death. That concerns me.
Alright, so a company may build incredible products, may have the latest technology available to its employees, but there can be a complete clash between your preferred company culture, and the company that interests you. Now, let’s look at some things you can do to uncover the culture of a company.
Tips
Identify the Type of Culture You Want in a Company
These questions will help you identify what matters most to you about the culture of a company.
What do you need, and what can you live without?
Think about your current or previous employer. What aspects do you want to keep? Which ones do you want to eliminate?
Now, think about your future employer. What do you need from a prospective employer? What do you want from a future employer? For example, do you want to be able to work from home sometimes? Your answers to these questions should guide you as you look for companies you’d like to work for.
In my “How to Land Your Next Job” online course, I go into more depth about identifying what you want in a company and the employee benefits that are important to you. When you enroll in the course, you receive handouts to stay organized and track your activities during your job search. You’ll get a Job Applications Tracker to track what jobs you’ve applied for and follow up actions, as well as a Networking Tracker, Top Companies Tracker, and Employee Benefits Exercise. You can get 15% off any of my courses for job seekers when you use the coupon code podcast15 at the checkout. Learn more and sign up today at express-to-impress.com.
Now that you know what you want from an employer, you can seek out employers that meet your criteria for what makes a great company.
Find Companies With a Company Culture That Appeals to You
- Find out what companies have received recognition. For example, Great Place to Work regularly surveys and publishes findings on best workplaces for targeted audiences like women, millennials, or parents and other factors like diversity and giving back. Forbes, Gallup, and Fortune also publicize workplace awards.
- Once a company has caught your attention, learn more about them on employer review sites like Glassdoor. There are some great niche sites and region-specific sites out there as well. Look for trends in the comments. A word of caution: It’s important that you learn about companies from multiple sources since any one source cannot paint the full picture of what it’s like to work for a company and some reviews may not be an accurate reflection of what it’s like to work within a company. Also, as I mentioned earlier, as company culture is dynamic, so look at the dates on the reviews and be skeptical of old ones.
- Review individual company websites, and social media pages. However, a word of caution here, these sources often show employees, products, and operations favorably and may not paint the whole picture.
- Ask around. Ask former or current employees that you know to tell you about their experience of working for a company that interests you.
Just dig in and gather information about a company from multiple sources and then you can come to your own conclusions.
Be Inquisitive During the Interview Process
An interview provides one of the best opportunities to learn about the employees and company so you can decide if you want to work there.
Many people interviewing for a job spend a lot of time stressing out about how they will perform. I urge my clients to channel all of that energy into sizing up the employer to see if its the right culture fit and opportunity for them. That’s right; take back the power!
If the interview is in person, begin observing the company in the parking lot by checking if there are designated parking spots. Maybe you’ll see spots reserved for top management. Maybe you’ll see spots for electric cars, bike riders, or expecting mothers. This will give you insight into the company’s values and culture.
Make sure to arrive early and carefully observe how that office operates. Consider how people are dressed, what’s the atmosphere is like, how people are interacting with each other, how people appear. Do they seem happy? Do they seem frustrated? How are people greeting and treating you? How are employees treating callers on the phone? How is the office organized? Or, is it a mess? What are people saying through their body language?
So, once you’re In the interview itself, be sure to ask questions to learn about the company culture. You could ask questions like:
Can you tell me why you’re looking to hire someone new for this role?
What are the most important qualities you look for in potential employees?
How does management respond when an employee makes a mistake?
Are there any opportunities for staff to get to know each other?
And if you’re concerned about some of the comments you read on employer review sites, you can ask about it tactfully in an interview. For example, if it seems there is high turnover at the company, you could ask,
Could you tell me how long people at my experience level typically stay with the company?
The interviewer may confirm your fears that there has been high turnover, but they may also share about their efforts to fix the problem, which could help you decide if you are interested in working for the company.
Many people dread panel or team interviews, but these types of interviews offer some of the best opportunities to meet employees and get a sense of the company culture. If a team interview is not part of the interview process, you can request to meet your prospective team members. Another option is to request a site tour where you can ask questions about the equipment, people, or processes that you see along the way.
Throughout all of your interactions with a potential employer–whether that’s in person, during a phone or video interview, or over email–observe their actions. Look for red flags and listen to your intuition to gain a better understanding of the culture of the company.
In the next part of this episode, I’ll cover the idioms and phrases I used for people looking to build their English vocabulary.
Idioms & Phrases
On the Same Page
Here’s how I used it: “So we’re all on the same page, I’ll start by sharing what I mean by company culture.”
This means when people are in agreement or are starting with the same knowledge or assumption.
Dive Into
Here’s how I used it: “Before I dive into the story and tips sections of this episode, I will mention why company culture matters.”
This means to begin a task enthusiastically.
Home Away From Home
Here’s how I used it: “When employees fit into the culture of a company, they not only feel more comfortable, like they are at their home away from home, but they are happier, more engaged, and more productive.”
A home away from home is a place where someone has spent a lot of time and feels as comfortable as they are in their own home.
Next to
Here’s how I used it: “I know I just started working here, but there has been next to no training, and the company promised there would be substantial training during my interviews.”
In this context, next to means almost or very nearly.
Sink or Swim
Here’s how I used it: “It’s been a complete sink or swim situation.”
This describes a situation in which someone must either be successful right away or fail.
Over My Head
Here’s how I used it: “Then, she gave me a dense technical manual to read that’s way over my head.”
This means to be too complicated to be understood.
It’s Getting Old
Here’s how I used it: “I mean, I’m not even much of a drinker, so it’s getting old.”
This means to grow tired or annoyed by something.
A Doozy
Here’s how I used it: “Just a warning, the answer is a doozy!”
This is used to describe something remarkable or exceptional.
Size Up
Here’s how I used it: “I urge my clients to channel all of that energy into sizing up the employer to see if its the right culture fit and opportunity for them.”
This means to observe and form an opinion about someone or something.
Alright, that’s all for today. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Express to Impress. I hope to see you next time. Bye!
Music By Lucas Knutter
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