This topic is one that no one truly appreciates until you’ve experienced a negative working environment during your career. It is a topic that should be at the top of your selection criteria for any company you decide to join next. It’s as critical as the hiring leader you will be mentored under as I’ve witnessed unfortunate misalignment, which leads to dissatisfaction of performance and reputation.
How does one truly vet this out during your job-seeking process? The first key step to note is identifying your own personality and value characteristics. Are you an individual that prefers directness, collaboration, recognition of success, being highly motivated by other high achievers, etc.? Do the organizational values align with what’s key to you? A culture of transparency, being one’s authentic self, leading with empathy, etc. Or, do none of these attributes matter to you at all and you are one of the few people that can thrive regardless of aligned cultural attributes?
Work is where you will spend the majority of your life, greater time than with your spouse, children, and friends. You want to ensure this place you have chosen gives you not only the professional development needed to further your career but the mental and social engagement to keep you flourishing because you enjoy what the organization stands for, how they treat you, and how they respond during the downturn side of the economy.
You’ll be surprised how willing people in the organization are willing to share these details. Even if you are not actively interviewing at the company, employees are gladly willing to discuss their experience with you. I recommend connecting with employees across LinkedIn in your same area of expertise, or desired expertise. Feel free to send an email introducing yourself and stating your desired interest to potentially work there one day. Let them know you are keen to ensure it’s a cultural match first and ask for a virtual coffee chat.
The overall lesson here is to ensure you perform your due diligence in aligning the right cultural fit. Yes, there are so many online sites to go to, but I truly recommend someone currently working there to hear directly from them. You’ll be surprised at the insights people are willing to share with you.
