Corporate culture may be the key to happiness at work. You can have an exceptional job offer, but if the culture is not a match, it could be a disaster. A job is more than a place you go for eight or more hours a day. You deal with a lot — coworkers, the boss, and office politics. If you can’t succeed in a certain culture, you can’t succeed in the job.
The Reason Corporate Culture Matters
It is too simplistic to think that corporate culture is solely about mission and values. It manifests itself in other avenues such as overtime, availability of flextime and telecommuting, how people interact with each other, the dress code, benefits, professional development opportunities, how performance is evaluated, leadership style and the decision-making process. In essence, everything is culture-driven.
When you have a pending job offer, primary consideration may be compensation, benefits, and perhaps the commute. Those are all significant factors, but when you are thinking about making a move, dig a little deeper.
Key Considerations Before Accepting the Job
1. How Did You Feel When You Interviewed?
What did your gut say to you? Was it throwing up red flags? It is normal not to feel completely at ease, but you should have some sense of feeling comfortable. When you interview, be a consummate observer – from the time you walk in until the time you leave.
Pay attention to:
- The way you were greeted and how were you treated during the entire process. Were all communications professional, timely, and respectful?
- Was there a theme or unspoken tone to the questions you were asked? “Tell me about a time when your workload was particularly heavy, what steps did you take? “How do you establish priorities never to miss a deadline?” If you hear a common theme in the questions, that is a clue about what they expect from you when you begin work.
- Did you respect the people you met? Did you respect and like your new boss?
- How were people interacting with each other? Were they friendly or did you detect friction?
- Were people smiling or did they look serious?
- How do they act in the presence of the boss? Did their demeanor greatly change or did they become silent in their presence?
2. Can You Thrive with the Office Vibe?
Is it a suit and tie culture when you are a business casual person who loves jeans on Fridays? Is it the ever-popular open office space? I’m the quintessential introvert and I know that an open office space would severely limit my performance. It is simply not how I work best. If that defines you as well, see if you can tour the office before you make a final decision. The physical space, noise level, and interactions with staff will all play a crucial part. There’s most likely not going to be a perfect environment and all jobs will include some sort of give and take. The bottom line is to know your deal breakers so that your performance and satisfaction are not inhibited.
3. Is the Company on Firm Financial Footing?
Due diligence is the name of the game. If the company is public, you may be able to gather information on their financial stability from public filings and reports. If you are thinking about working for a government contractor, it is okay to ask about the length of the contract. If the contract is nearing an end, will they be able to place you elsewhere? You can also uncover information from a simple Google search and checking their social media mentions. You’ll be able to get a sense of whether there might be trouble ahead. Try to ascertain whether they have been adding jobs consistently or if hiring has been shrinking.
4. Will You Be Better Off After Taking This Job?
Here is a million-dollar question: If you had to find a new job in the following year, will this job help you with your professional development? Will you learn new skills, or will it be more of the same for you? Before you start any job search, you should have a strategy. Accepting a new role should be a stepping stone that inches you closer to your career goals. By the same token, if you stay with this organization can you see a path of career development? Avoid exchanging one dead-end job for another one.
5. Can You Respect and Like the Person to Whom You Will Report?
Studies have shown that a significant number of people leave a position because of their boss. Having a great manager can make or break your work experience. When you interview, it is a two-way conversation. You owe it to yourself to ask questions. Find out how success will be determined. Learn as much as you can about your manager’s expectations beyond the job duties, as well as their leadership style. This will give you an indication of whether you’ll be working for a leader who is reasonable or one that will make you unhappy.
If you’re unemployed or have been for a while, nobody will fault you for accepting a position for the sake of a salary. Not every person will have the luxury of turning down a job. However, if you are in a decent job and you have some degree of flexibility, look at this decision from a holistic perspective.
Corporate culture should never equal culture shock. Your gut tells you a lot when you pay attention and ask questions. If you feel troubled about the job or the people you would be working with, don’t ignore it! Unless your gut has a history of being overly dramatic, it is worth paying attention to when a voice inside you is screaming, “Don’t even think about taking this job!”
