By Kristen Carter, Guest Contributor
Positive, professional, supportive, intellectually-stimulating, growth opportunities, good communication, friendly, stress free—one might use these words to describe the ideal working environment. Like most Americans, you will likely be spending a minimum of 40 hours of your week in some type of work setting. So, the question is: What is going to keep you fulfilled?
Although salary and fringe benefits can be enticing, studies have shown that people tend to be the happiest and most productive when they are positioned in a work environment that best suits them. As a result, it is important to identify your work values-the things that matter most to you-and to know what you want out of your work experience prior to being offered a position (Need help figuring this out? Try using our Assessment Tool, FOCUS-2, and working with a Career Coach.) Your goal is to become a ‘first-class job search researcher,’ meaning it is your mission to figure out what type of organizational culture is the right fit for you before you accept that job offer.
So, how do you know if a company is right for you? What are the indicators? What questions should you be asking? In his Harvard Business Review blog post titled “When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters,” Bill Barnett outlines three key points to consider when investigating a corporate culture.
- First, he encourages job applicants to research the organization’s purpose beyond what is being said in the interview, which can be accomplished both through observation when interviewing at the company and by asking current or former employees about their experiences. Don’t have access to current or former employees? Try searching in Career Insider, a comprehensive library of information including “day in the life of…” details for many positions and companies.
- Next, Barnett suggests reading any information you can about the company with a critical eye. Another alternative is to seek out people not connected with the organization to obtain a different point of view.
- Lastly, be direct by delicately asking about the company culture either in an interview setting or after you have an offer.
Aside from ethical issues, Barnett states, there is no “absolute standard” of what an organizational culture should or should not be. But, the bottom line is you will be spending a lot of time in the work environment, thus you will want to be certain it is a place where you fit, feel comfortable, and are respected.
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