Emurse

The success or failure of your job often depends on the company culture. When evaluating an employment opportunity you should always consider the key factors that are important to you. MaryHelen Votral from CM Access joins us for this wonderful guest post on Evaluating Corporate Culture!

So How Do You Know if the Company is Right for You?

And this doesn’t apply to just a suit-and-tie kind of position. “Corporate culture” applies to the environment in which you will be working. From a mom-and-pop shop, all the way to those types of businesses where you’re just one person, in one cubicle, on one floor, of one building, on one campus among many locations all over the world. But very few people can truly adapt to both sorts of places. And rather than try to convince yourself, or your interviewer, that you’re that kind of person, let’s look at some ways to figure out what is likely to be the actual situation behind the reception desk.

There are a few ways to know how you should figure out which type of environment is right for your ideal new job.

I am going to assume that you’re already researching a company long before you’re being offered a job. But if this is not the case, and you really nailed the interview by just guessing what they wanted to hear, then now is the time you should put some effort into deciding if this is the right type of employer for you.

Company size is very important to establishing a feel for what their office or location is going to be like. If it’s a start-up company and you’re sharing a desk with the CEO (who is also the CMO, COO and CIO), then you can bet that your personality is priority number one on the list of requirements. And this says more about the culture: you will find that the atmosphere is one of hard work, some close pressure on your ability to meet goals and deadlines, and you’ll likely socialize together too. This can lead to some drama, but many people don’t mind this type of work environment.

If you’re joining a mid-to-large sized company, probably working at a branch office with cubicle-land setting, then you’ll no doubt encounter some intra-office politics. But the environment can be one that’s family-like, with teammates who will stay an extra hour to crank out that last report, or a manager who brings bagels from the home-office just to say “we’re here for you.” Personality is also important in these types of places, but one often doesn’t know just what the tone is, the dynamic of the relationships, until after a couple of weeks there.

The best tactics to figure out this type of match is to:

1. Go with your gut. I’d recommend Malcom Gladwell’s newest book, Blink, to learn more about trusting your instinct when meeting people as opposed to evaluating all the options. We, as animal species, are well-equipped with subconscious sensors to detect safe environments—pay attention to your initial impression.
2. Ask to shadow an employee for a day, whether it be your potential manager or a coworker. Not only will this look very smart to your interviewer, demonstrating that you’d like to make an informed decision and that you’re very interested in not wasting their time or money on hiring the wrong person, but it is also in your best interest to interact with some of the people you’ll be spending a lot of time with in a setting that’s a lot less formal than an interview.

Also, if the above isn’t a possibility, which may tell you something valuable in itself, use resources like Linked In to connect to former employees. Wouldn’t you be flattered if someone asked your opinion? All you have to do is put in a little effort to make that connection, and more than likely, someone will be happy to tell you their personal experience in that company.

All in all, it’s important to remember that while you may be eager to land a big break, to finally get that position you’ve been dreaming of, it’s also important to know that you’re going to be spending a lot of time there, and you want it to be comfortable for you. Even if the company’s brand name is one that will impress friends and family, do your research on your own time, so that you’re not playing cat-and-mouse with them after they’ve made you an offer. Know how serious you are about the position every step of the way (which is another topic altogether!) and do your best to find out if the atmosphere is a match for you and your goals.

Some other questions that will help you evaluate:

• How long do most employees stay at this company?
• Are there company-wide events or gatherings?
• How is employee satisfaction measured?

Questions? Suggestions? Join the conversation in the comments below!

MaryHelen Votral is a career advocate for CM Access, a staffing and search firm for professionals in the marketing, advertising, communications and design industries. She is passionate about the job search as a marketing process, and more of her musings are available at the CM Access blog, www.cmaccess.net.

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