How Job Seekers Can Assess Company Culture

How Job Seekers Can Assess Company CultureHow Job Seekers Can Assess Company Culture6Every organizations culture has a tremendous impact on its employees and contractors. And yet the term is vague, the evidence is elusive, and, perhaps most confusing, the actual culture of an organization might not match what its leaders say about it. Luckily, there are a few tips on how job seekers and freelancers can assess company culture to make sure it is a good fit.According to BusinessDictionary.com, an organizational culture consists of the shared attitudes, beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed over time and are considered valid. In other words, it is the way things are done around here, which may or may not match the written rules. It shows up in the way customers and employees are treated the way decisions are made the way power is used the way issues are treated the way performance is evaluated the way people work together the way employees and freelan cers are chosen, developed, and promoted the physical environment the benefits and perks and the way work and life are balanced.So, how is a job seeker or freelancer to discover whether or not the culture is a good fit and avoid making a costly mistake? They can assess company culture Lets break it down.How to Assess Company Culture as a Job Seeker or FreelancerAssess Your PreferencesFirst, you need to assess your own preferences and priorities for cultural elements. Is having a fun and casual workplace important to you? Do you work best in teams or alone? Are you irritated when micromanaged or do you welcome the structure? Do you thrive at a fast pace or do you perform at your best when able to work at your own pace? Make a list or use a self-assessment tool available online.Assess the Company Culture OnlineNow put on your detectives hat to uncover how well the organization you are considering matches your priorities. Your second step is to look at external sources such as their we bsite, LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, and Twitter feeds. Dont forget that just because an organization says it values something doesnt make it so.Salary.com and Glassdoor.com both offer employee reviews, which can be helpful (and thanks to our partnership with Glassdoor, if a company in our database has Glassdoor reviews, youll see them right here on). If you have any contacts at the organization, a quick phone call can yield much insight. Find out what they like best and least about the organization and ask specific questions about your priorities and how they might fit.Assess the Work EnvironmentThe third step is to do some sleuthing at your interview. As you wait in the lobby and move through the halls, observe the surroundings. Does it look like a place you would like to work? How are people greeting each other? Are office doors open or closed? How are people decorating their spaces? Is there evidence of community events or social gatherings? Is there a low hum of conversation or is it quiet? Are people rushing around? Any raised voices? Laughter?Assess the Company Culture Through QuestionsFinally, prepare some questions for your interviewers based on your cultural priorities because you can bet that theyre assessing you at the same time. You can flat out ask what the culture is like and evaluate the reaction you get. Ask for examples of how they have seen the culture operating.Depending on the role of the interviewer, here are some mora subtle questions you might askFor HRHow is performance evaluated?How are employees developed?How does the company view flexible work arrangements?Are there defined career paths?How are employees evaluated for promotion?For your potential managerWhat do you feel are the most valued traits among the leaders here?How do you help your employees succeed?How are performance goals set?How much work is done in teams versus individual work?How do you typically communicate with your staff?Why did you choose to work here?For peersW hy did you choose to work here?What do you like best about the working environment?What would you like to change about the working environment?What traits do you think are most valued by the manager?What typically happens when errors or issues are discovered?Now that you have a pretty good picture after assessing the company culture, you can make a judgment about how closely you fit into the culture, where the issues may lie, and whether or not you can live with them. Put that together with the offer you are presented with to make your decision to accept it or move on.Lisa Mullen is salzbildner Softwares manager of corporate human resources and has 14 years of experience working in HR. Lisa is focused on recruitment and providing practical insights that help HR positively impact business performance. Halogen Software offers an organically built, cloud-based talent management suite that reinforces and drives higher employee performance across all talent programs- whether that is recr uiting, performance management, learning and development, succession planning, or compensation.Find Freelance Jobs