The term “company culture” is bandied about in the business world. But what is it, and why does it even matter?
A company’s culture refers to the way an organization presents itself to its stakeholders, including staff, and often includes components that affect workplace atmosphere such as work environment, flexibility, mission, and ethics. It’s similar to a personality—some will be attracted to it, others repelled. For example, if a company’s culture values a workplace in which all employees collaborate in an open workspace, that company’s culture will clash with an individual who works best alone. However, if an organization values community volunteerism and a potential hire possesses a solid volunteering track record, the two can be a good fit.
When an employee and a company are a good fit, the employee will be happier on the job and perform better. It works the other way, too. If the employer and employee fit is poor, the result will be subpar for both, so it pays for job seekers to research a company’s culture and look for elements that lead to a good fit.
Below are questions to consider when examining a company’s culture.
- How does the company describe itselfto the world? What words does the firm use to explain who it is, what it does, and why it does it? The way an organization talks about itself is a good measure of the way it operates.
- How do employees refer to their organization? Are current workers positive ambassadors of the company? What employees say about their firmshows a lot about how a potential hire can expect to feel working there.
- Is turnover a problem? If a company churns through people, it’s likely that the culture is not supportive or worse, hostile.
We spend too many hours at our jobs to work in an organization that isn’t a good fit. Researching company culture before onboarding pays long-lasting dividends.
Discussion
- What are some ways to look into a company’s culture prior to an interview?
- During an interview, how could the job seeker learn more about the organization’s culture?
- How can you define what kind of a culture will be the best fit for you?
A company’s culture refers to the way an organization presents itself to its stakeholders, including staff, and often includes components that affect workplace atmosphere such as work environment, flexibility, mission, and ethics. It’s similar to a personality—some will be attracted to it, others repelled. For example, if a company’s culture values a workplace in which all employees collaborate in an open workspace, that company’s culture will clash with an individual who works best alone. However, if an organization values community volunteerism and a potential hire possesses a solid volunteering track record, the two can be a good fit.
When an employee and a company are a good fit, the employee will be happier on the job and perform better. It works the other way, too. If the employer and employee fit is poor, the result will be subpar for both, so it pays for job seekers to research a company’s culture and look for elements that lead to a good fit.
Below are questions to consider when examining a company’s culture.
- How does the company describe itselfto the world? What words does the firm use to explain who it is, what it does, and why it does it? The way an organization talks about itself is a good measure of the way it operates.
- How do employees refer to their organization? Are current workers positive ambassadors of the company? What employees say about their firmshows a lot about how a potential hire can expect to feel working there.
- Is turnover a problem? If a company churns through people, it’s likely that the culture is not supportive or worse, hostile.
We spend too many hours at our jobs to work in an organization that isn’t a good fit. Researching company culture before onboarding pays long-lasting dividends.
Discussion
- What are some ways to look into a company’s culture prior to an interview?
- During an interview, how could the job seeker learn more about the organization’s culture?
- How can you define what kind of a culture will be the best fit for you?
