Finding a job with the right Corporate Culture
When people look for jobs, they are mostly focused on a fairly
narrow set of criteria such as salary, job title, and commuting
time. An important factor that most people don't give much
thought to until after accepting a new position is the corporate
culture. While just about everyone who isn't happy with the
culture of the company they work for complains about it after
they're hired, very few people examine corporate culture before
accepting a job.
CAUSES OF CORPORATE CULTURE
The main driver of a company's culture is its senior management
team. These people set the stated business objectives. They also
set unstated guidelines by the way in which they manage people.
For example, Jack Welch set a culture of people focused on
competition and selling more than competitors when he set a
business objective that all GE companies had to be #1 in their
markets. Sam Walton set a corporate culture of attention to
detail by visiting individual Wal-Mart stores personally and
inquiring about minute issues.
COMPONENTS OF CORPORATE CULTURE
Sense of Urgency - While just about all business managers will
tell you their objectives are important, there is often a
discrepency between what they say and the decisions they make.
By asking employees to work however many hours it takes to
finish projects and demanding that deadlines be met, managers
create a corporate culture where performance is highly valued.
Many managers, on the other hand, put a premium on employee
comfort and low stress levels, and therefore do not demand that
employees work harder or more hours to accomplish objectives. If
you're a performance-minded person, there's a good chance you'll
be unhappy in a comfort-minded company. People who are
goal-oriented and who are looking to accomplish a lot in their
careers, can feel stifled by a corporate culture that does not
want to "overwork" its employees.
Business Size - Business size has a major impact on job
satisfaction. Working at a large company, you may feel distant
from decision making and having an impact. However, large
companies generally provide more opportunities for career
advancement. Large companies can also provide more social
interaction, opportunities for after-work activities, etc.
Business Philosophy/Identity - Most companies tend to have a
unique identity and philosophy. For some companies, they pride
themselves on giving back to the community. Some are focused on
making as much money for their employees as possible. And others
are focused on providing a great work environment and being a
place people want to work. Finding a business with a philosophy
that matches your values will make getting up for work in the
morning much more enjoyable!
Management Style - Some managers give their employees wide
lattitude to make decisions. Others want to be involved in
details and have more control over everything that's going on.
Degree of Trust - In some companies, people openly trust each
other and share information with their co-workers. At other
companies, people are secretive and even distrustful.
Understanding of Personal Issues - It's possible for a company
to be focused on performance, but to still be generous with its
employees in times of personal need (such as when someone has a
sick family member).
WAYS TO DETERMINE CORPORATE CULTURE
It's often possible to get a sense of a company's culture by
looking at their web site. They may include speeches from their
senior managers or news items discussing company initiatives
that indicate cultural values. Before interviewing, it's a good
idea to think about the values you'd want a company you work for
to have, and if it's not obvious to you the company has them,
ask the person you're interviewing with what the company's
philosophy is on the issue. Ask for examples to be sure the
interviewer isn't just selling you on the company and can
provide facts to back up their assertions. By asking culture
questions and showing that you are interested in making sure you
and the company fit well together, you're also communicating to
the interviewer that you're a professional and that you are
looking for a job that really makes sense for you.