It is a cliché, I know, but your
personal fit with the organisation is the primary key to being successful. In
these rapidly changing times, the job you decided to pursue will alter over
time, your reporting lines will change…but what will not rapidly change is the
organisational culture.
Consequently, one of the key
defining factors when assessing a job opportunity is your fit with the company
culture.
Let’s start with the beginning: there
are many definitions around organisational culture, one being even fluffier
than the other. While researching for this blog, I came across a definition
that to me sums it up correctly: ‘It is the way we do things around here’.
It consists of factors such as the
shared values of a business, the beliefs and norms that affect every aspect of
working life, the typical day-to-day behaviour. All of these are unspoken rules
that define the unique ways of working within an organisation.
The difficulty of assessing a
company culture prior to joining an organisation lies in the fact that the
rules are unspoken. Does it mean that you just need to take your chances and
hope for the best? Not at all, it merely indicates that you’ll need to focus in
order to detect the company culture during the selection process.
It starts by knowing who you are
and your own ways of working. You may have qualities that thrive in a
structured, well-established organisation but that will set you up for failure
in a start-up environment.
Once you know your own ‘culture’,
you can start by reviewing the website of future employers. This will give you
a first glance of the values a company has. But the proof of the pudding is
still in the eating so…close observation during the selection process will
reveal the true ways of working within an organisation.
Pay attention to the way you are
treated at the reception. Have a look as well on how the working space is
organised, you may not like an open space office environment. Are people
dressed in a casual way or will a suit be your daily uniform?
All of these small factors will
give you a first impression on the organisational culture.
Your interviews will provide you
with additional information. The way a company approaches recruitment will tell you a lot about the qualities they value: are the questions oriented towards the technical
aspects of a position or will they focus more on your personality? How do the
different interviewers interact with each other? Do they all tell the same
story? How quickly do they decide whether you make it to the next round? Do you get to meet the other team-members?
Being happy in a job requires that your DNA matches the DNA of an organisation.
So take your time during the selection process to determine whether you truly
fit in because it will be key to your long term success.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Isabel
Through a personalised and
tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in
attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Follow me on Twitter
@IngeniumSearch
