Culture Matters-More than ever. Here's why

Pandemic has changed the way the candidate perceives an organization. With remote hiring becoming the new normal and lack of in-person communication and connection, it has become a challenge for candidates to determine the company culture.

While deciding on a job, the leading factors towards making a decision is the salary followed by the perks (free food, insurance, paid vacation etc). However, it’s not at this time the candidate realizes the importance of company culture. While the perks seem impressive, the prime factors that decide your career growth are company culture, inclusive environment and a great mentor. 

About 47% of people are actively looking for new positions as the work culture at their current workplace is not as per their expectation. More now than ever, job-seekers are falling prey to the perks due to the notion of lack of jobs in the pandemic hit economy. 

How to make sure you’re well versed with the company culture in a virtual set up?

Look beyond the job description

Considering how you would be spending an average of 25 to 30 years of your life at the workplace, the importance of a healthy work culture cannot be emphasized enough. Contrary to the popular belief, company culture is much beyond the workplace atmosphere. It extends to the behaviors and attitudes of the people in the organization including how they interact with one another. 

Plus, it is crucial to have a supportive manager who enables growth in your career. To a large extent, your manager would have control over your work environment. With the right manager and their guidance, you could take a better path than you imagined for yourself. 

What should you do before picking a company?

The best place to explore the company culture is on social media, reviews on glassdoor and connecting with potential colleagues on LinkedIn to know their take on the company. Is it real or just superficial. Here’s the breakdown of the process.

1. Find out the purpose of the company
   
   Many companies portray themselves to be noble striving towards a greater cause. It is advisable to understand the purpose of the company and how the purpose leads to the decisions they make. 
   
   Different organizational purposes can be appealing to different people. So, consider metrics such as how performance is measured, the importance of teamwork, their ethical practices, the relevance of mental health at the workplace. When you analyze these aspects of the organization’s purpose, evaluate how they align with your expectations and goals.
   
   
2. Analyze their existing employees’ take on the culture
   
   Discuss culture with the people in the organization. Apart from the ones you meet in the interview, try gathering insights from people who are not involved in the recruiting process. It is also best if you could talk to people who are indirectly involved with the company - suppliers, clients, customers, and partners. This would give you a whole-rounded insight into how culture is being practiced by the employees and the decision-makers in the company.
    
3. Ask your boss about a previous project
   
   Typically, it is not supremely easy to find out whether you’re going to land an amazing boss. You may have to sleuth a little. To make an informed judgment about your potential boss, you could start by asking about a past project that they have handled. This will help you understand how they conduct business in practice.

 Here are some hints that your potential boss could be incredible:

• They would ask others for input and allow their team to make their decisions
• They communicate with clarity and inspire you to take action
• They appreciate your skills while also providing constructive feedback
• They are more task-driven and do not micromanage

 How can great work culture empower you?

• Your productivity drastically improves
  
  The most important factor for you to stay productive at work is the work culture that is actively being practiced. Nearly 76% of employees strongly believe that good work culture has worked wonders for their productivity. The more secure and satisfied you feel at work, the better your productivity would be. So, ensure that the company culture is compatible to you so that you can excel in your career. 
  
  
• You thrive at your workplace
  
  Your organization’s culture plays a huge role in your satisfaction and engagement at work. For example, if your company culture promotes teamwork, but you prefer working independently, you may not appreciate the company. So, find out if the company culture is a good match for your personal style of working which can help you escalate in your career much faster.
  
  
• You stay at a company long enough
  
  65% of employees agree that the company culture is a prime factor when deciding to stay at their job. A negative or weak company culture could result in burnout and cause many to quit or shift jobs. It’s essential that the company diligently maintains its culture and improves when required. Not having a healthy work culture could cause you to shift jobs very soon thereby not allowing you enough time to pick up relevant skills.  

Conclusion

While all companies may not have the same company culture, it is important to analyze and understand what fits you best. Before you get started, understand that discussing company culture is not going to put your job at risk. It is certainly not off-base and it is necessary for you to know for future growth in the company. In fact, questions on culture could cast you in a positive light. So, ensure that you do your research and ask the right questions before you sign up for a job.