You’ve Found the Right Role – but Is the Culture for You?
You’ve probably spent weeks searching for your next career move, sieving through requirements, company perks and day to day responsibilities. You’ve finally found one that ticks all the above boxes…. But what about the culture?
Now it doesn’t matter how perfect a role may seem, ensuring that cultural alignment is present is vital to not only progress your career, but to also feel engaged and happy in your workplace.
Ultimately, a negative fit will do more harm than good, for both you and your potential employer.
Remember, everyone is different, and not every single culture will suit you and the way you like to work. If you’re struggling to gauge whether the alignment is present with your current active applications, read on to find out why cultural fit is important and how to spot whether it’s the right workplace for you…
Why is company culture important?
Company culture is mostly overlooked when applying for a role.
We focus heavily on the shiny perks like salary and holiday entitlements, but ultimately, culture should be the key basis for any career decision. Why I hear you ask? …
Alignment of values
Firstly, values are such an important factor to take into consideration when looking for a role. You want to ensure that what a company openly supports and promotes represents your personal views. It all depends on what/who you want to be associated with.
Satisfaction in the workplace
A further key benefit of selecting your workplace for its culture is the level of job satisfaction you will feel. If you’re working for a company who supports positive employee engagement, you’ll feel much happier in your role… leading to greater satisfaction levels long-term!
Feeling engaged
As touched on above, a culture that fits your way of engaging will provide you with a united feel, which can lead to many positives. If you end up at a company with a negative vibe your engagement levels will decrease, and you’ll feel less and less motivated to complete your work as the time moves on. It may all seem fine to start, but a disjointed culture will drain you!
Additionally, you want to be surrounded by like-minded people who inspire you and allow you to be yourself… therefore, it’s so important to take culture into consideration before selecting your next workplace.
The importance of cultural alignment is also acknowledge by employers too. Recent research suggests how 42% of employers believe that alignment with their company culture is one of the most important factors they take into consideration when bringing a new member of the team onboard. Therefore, it’s a must for you to ensure there is a fit.
How to identify a company’s culture
Okay, so you now understand the importance of cultural fit, and hopefully have a grasp on the type of culture that brings out the best in you… now it’s time to put a strategy in place to help you identify the different types of cultures out there!
Do your research
One of the most effective ways you can gauge whether a company has a positive, engaging culture is through their social media accounts and career page. Now not all companies will make the most of presenting their employer brand online, so you won’t establish a full representation, however, most reputable, modern companies will use it to their advantage.
Look out for company events, employee recognition and progression in the company, a day in the life of content and any content focusing on their values.
It’s a good starting point to observe the leadership styles and employee dynamic.
Glassdoor reviews
A further strategy to take onboard is the use of Glassdoor. In short, Glassdoor is an online platform where current and previous employees review companies. This is a great way to get an honest view of how employees are treated and whether they’ve enjoyed their time associated with a company.
I urge you to open a new tab once you’ve finished reading this blog and search for the companies you currently have applications with! It will save you so much time long-term as you may discover that a company isn’t right for you prior to investing your time and effort into an interview.
Face to face observations
If you’ve done the above and liked the vibe you’ve been getting, along with successfully obtaining an interview, the final way you can gain a clear view of a company’s culture is through face to face observation.
You can learn a lot from meeting people and viewing how they communicate with each other in the working environment. I know this is easier said than done, and is a little further through the application funnel, however will provide you with the evidence you need to decide.
Now I know this is an extra criterion to add to your job search, however you will thank yourself long-term when you’re working somewhere you love. If you’re looking to build a strong career with one company, this is a significant area to investigate, as a negative cultural fit will sooner or later cause workplace conflicts.
For more tips on selection, click here to read the do’s and don’ts when observing company culture.
If you are a job-seeker struggling to find your next role in the IT world, contact us today on [email protected] and we will point you in the right direction.
