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So how do you find a good company culture fit?
There are proactive steps you can take throughout your application process for a company to try and better evaluate its company culture, and whether it would be a good fit for you.
Stage 1) Pre-interview
Check the job description
Check out their employee perks and benefits. These may include learning and development funds, share options, bonuses, social events, volunteering opportunities, holiday allowances, flexible working - all of these factors feed into the culture of a business.
Dive into their website
Most companies have a ‘careers’ page on their website, so have a look and see how they describe themselves, and how they work. Some companies also have a culture deck, or even an employee handbook online where they share their ways of working in more detail. AccuRx is a great example of a company with a detailed employee handbook.
Check out their socials
Have a look and see if they post team pictures on social media or shout about their culture as a tool for attracting new talent. Often if teams have away days or evenings out this is evidenced across socials for smaller or mid-sized companies. Larger corporations, particularly international, not so much.
Make sure you check out your interviewer on LinkedIn too and see how long they’ve been at the company, and where they’ve worked previously. It’s important to think up some questions to ask your interviewer based on their profile as well.
Another platform to check is YouTube, some companies showcase videos about their offices and their teams? A great example of a company smashing video content is Huel.
Check third party review sites
Sites such as Glassdoor may have anonymous feedback from both current and former employees of the company - discussing business outlook, CEO approval, as well as talking about the interview process so it can be a good way to get a head start.
Stage 2) Interview stage
Get to know your interviewer
If your interviewer is potentially going to be your future manager - ask a tonne of questions! How is the team structured, who would you be working alongside, what is their management style like, how often does the team communicate or regularly meet? You want to see if you could work well with this person and have open communication with them.
Check out the office space
If you’re visiting their offices, have a look around. Notice how employees are interacting with each other, what they’re wearing, what the space is like - if it’s open-plan or closed offices. If it’s over lunchtime - are people eating together? Are there any informal meeting areas or seating? These all feed into the company culture.
Stage 3) Post interview
After an interview, and providing you get an offer and would be interested in taking it, there are a couple of things you can do to get a deeper understanding of the culture there.
Use your network
Do you know someone personally who works for the company, or knows someone who does that you can speak to? It’s always best to speak to a current or former employee to get an honest opinion. However, it is worth bearing in mind that in larger companies, different departments may have different cultures - so take things with a pinch of salt.
Finally, trust your gut! If it feels like a good fit, it probably is.
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