You want to succeed at your new job, so you need to know how you fit with the company culture. The corporate culture says a lot about what it is like to work somewhere. Employees ideally have to fit the company’s culture if they want to feel fulfilled in their new job. Ask the following questions to see if your new company is right for you.
What Is the Company Culture Like for Employees?
When you show up at work, do you feel excited? Does the company work to include your ideas and insights? Look at how the company makes decisions and works together across departments. Do they work as a team or are all the decisions made top-down? Is this a place where you will feel encouraged to do your best and speak up?
How Does Their Hiring Process Work?
The hiring process says a lot about the company culture. Some companies do a group interview to see how you work as a team. Other companies turn the interview into a competition, which shows a competitive culture. Do they ask you unusual questions as part of the initial screening? The hiring process shows what the company values and their culture. A fun interview likely shows a cool culture. Meanwhile, a more traditional interview process indicates a standard, traditional business.
What Are the Perks Like?
A company that offers a health insurance plan and 401(k) might be a traditional company. At high-tech firms, the perks might include things like extra vacation days, yoga classes or free lunches. The types of perks show what the company cares about. Whether they offer a pool table or free smoothies, these perks say a lot about the environment management wants to create.
What Does the Office Look Like?
The physical space can show a lot about the culture. Some modern firms have open concept workplaces with standing desks and other features. These open spaces are meant to foster collaboration between workers. If the workspace has managers in offices and workers in cubicles, the company has a more traditional business model. Open workspaces are often linked to collaboration and open dialogue.
What Is the Lifestyle Like?
If you are career-oriented and love your job, you might want a company that loves to work late. Some people want a job that ends at the same time every day. Either way, the lifestyle can tell you if this company is the right fit. If everyone stays until long after the sun sets, the corporate culture might not be right for you. The company might offer potluck lunches or weekend picnics. It might be a place where workers are told to leave at 5 to enjoy a work-life balance. There is no right or wrong, it’s simply a matter of which option works best for you.
Before you take a job, be honest about what you want. If you know that you will not like the culture, then you are setting yourself up for an unpleasant experience. Employees who find a culture that matches their needs are more likely to be successful in their new job.