So imagine this scenario: you walk in on your first day in a new company, expecting to have a rip-roaring time with your new co-workers…and then you're met by silence. As it turns out, you've become part of a team full of introverts who like keeping to themselves as well as some peace and quiet. While there's really nothing wrong with that, you know that you can't concentrate on work without some form of human interaction. With a sinking feeling, you realize that there's been a terrible mistake.
Being qualified for the job is only half the battle. You still need to make sure that you fit in with the rest of the organization – if you don't, then your ability to be effective at your job can be compromised. And while determining your suitability for the company is often the responsibility people who interview you, you can't always rely on their ability to judge your comfort level with their company culture.
That's why you need to do your own research.
Ask the right questions
There was a LinkedIn article last year that shared 11 questions that determine company culture. Such questions include "what does the company fight against (a brand or a situation)?" and "how does the company handle internal disagreements?" These questions are designed to help you determine what the company values, derides, encourages, and discourages among its employees. Asking these questions over the course of your research into that enterprise also forces you to consider your own values and inclinations, and whether or not you're willing or able to align it with the new company.
It's important to remember that YOUR feelings towards the way an organization runs its business matters in the long run. If you find that you cannot agree with their tactics, that you cannot personally connect with the stories that are often told in its internal community, then you will have to cut your losses.
Reach out to them personally
If you still couldn't quite get a clear picture of what the company culture is like even with the 11 questions, then you can do a bit of "undercover" work (presuming that you haven't applied for the job yet). Call their business phone number or contact them through email to see how they handle their communication process. Are they efficient? Do you like how they handled your inquiries? Would you do the same thing they do, if you were put in their position?
You can also start observations when you come in for an interview. More often than not, hanging out at a company's reception area will give you an interesting picture of what goes on inside the company. Are a lot of people coming and going through the reception, or do they come out in ones and twos? Are they loud or quiet? How do they interact with each other? How are they dressed? What jokes do they tell? Are you willing to dress they way they do and act the way they do? At first glance, do you think you can be friends with any of those people?
It may be difficult to find work these days, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to find work that you can't keep doing for years on end. This is why company culture is a really important factor when you're trying to find a job.
Author Bio
Monique Jones is an Engineer who deals with telephone systems. Besides being an Engineer, she also works as a part time writer. She helps her colleagues and other people about their communication issues, giving effective solutions to address their needs.
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