If you have just been offered a new job, remember it isn’t just the job description you should focus on. It’s just as important to look for an organisation which will be a good fit for you, making it a great place to work. It’s where you will spend a significant amount of time and, outside of your family, work is said to be the biggest thing to influence how happy you are. Plus, the more comfortable you are in your workplace, the better you’ll be at your job.
So how can job seekers find out more about a company’s culture and whether they are likely to be happy there before accepting a job?
a) Internet research
Most candidates will do internet research ahead of job interviews to ensure they feel prepared to answer any tricky questions. Use this time to also look out for signs of what the company would be like to work for. The website may have a section about the company culture, values and staff wellbeing policies. Social media can show more about the way they like to portray the business, whether it’s fun and light hearted in tone, or serious and professional.
b) Ask some probing questions during the interview
Use the interview to dig deeper into what it will be like to work there. Asking the interviewers to describe the company culture from their perspective and what their favourite thing is about working for the organisation can provide some excellent insights. Questioning when they would expect the busiest periods be in your new role could help you to gauge more about expected working hours, while asking how often staff get together will give an idea about the culture of meetings in the organisation and potentially open up a discussion about general socialising, both in and outside of office hours.
c) Explore the office environment
Ask for a tour of where you will be working, including any communal areas. While the work place environment doesn’t necessarily need to have the wow-factor of the famed Google offices, it does need to be appealing to you. Being able to picture where you will be spending your time will help you to build up a picture of what day-to-day life will be like. It’s also a good opportunity to pick up on some more visual clues about the workplace culture and the type of people you’ll be working with. Are desks filled with family photos and mementos? Is the office space designed to be funky and creatively inspiring, or sleek, formal and professional? What are the team members wearing?
d) Ask those in the know
Ask friends and family to put you in touch with anyone they know who already works for the company. Ask them if colleagues get frequent training and subsequently take on new responsibilities? Can staff implement their own ideas in the workplace? What’s the staff turnover like?
e) Discuss with your recruitment consultant
If you are using a recruitment consultant, call and discuss everything with them. A good consultant will have done their own research into the organisation as part of the process of helping them to recruit the right people. We want the people we place to be happy and to thrive and in their new role, as this gives the organisation the skilled, motivated person they need. It’s just as important to us to find the right ‘fit’ and we’re always happy to discuss this in more detail.
For recruitment, head-hunting, talent search and psychometric testing contact us today:
Phone: 0713461279 / 0738555033
