Interviewing is a two-way street and asking crucial questions about the culture of a company will provide a clearer understanding as to whether or not the company is the right professional match.
A company culture is an important factor when deciding if a potential career option is the right match. In many cases, when professionals are unsuccessful in their career choice, the incorrect culture match is usually the underlying cause. Many factors can play into an unsuccessful culture match such as a work style not matching the structure, pace, and leadership/communication within an organization. I advise any professional that I represent the importance of asking in-depth questions to understand the company dynamics to ensure the culture is an environment they will thrive in.
The following questions will help evaluate the work environment to determine the culture match:
- “How does this role impact the organization?” (This question provides an understanding of the value the position plays within the company, visibility and the interface with internal departments.)
- “Can you describe the traits that best describe your top performers?” (Do the traits described by the hiring manager relate to your own strengths? Professionals are most successful working in environments where their strengths are valued and maximized).
- “How do you describe the leadership of the organization?” (Leaders set the tone for the environment and expectation. If the leaders value work place balance, that is often portrayed within the company culture).
- If you’re accustomed to structured environments and you find yourself interviewing with a smaller to medium sized company, the following question will provide insight into the company structure. First, define the tools and processes that you’re accustomed to working with and ask if similar processes are in place. For example, “I’m accustomed to utilizing sales/marketing literature to educate potential clients, what type of sales/marketing tools do you have in place?” This question should be tailored to describe the tools/processes that are crucial to your success. This will allow you to understand the workload which will be higher if you have to create tools and processes.
- When interviewing with a rapidly growing company, the environment can sometimes be described as a “whirlwind.” Therefore it’s important to ask questions that will provide a clear understanding of the pace and commitment necessary to be successful in this type of environment. The following question will provide clarification on the challenges that (may) exist within the work environment. “I understand you’re a rapidly growing company, can you provide insight into the current challenges the company is experiencing?”6. “What is the current review process for work performance?” (This can determine the sophistication of a company’s Human Resources structure for the purpose of monitoring performance, annual reviews, annual increases and providing insight about a future career path).
The Bottom Line
Interviewing is a two-way conversation and understanding “company culture” will provide a realistic expectation on the inner-workings of a company and your potential match based on the information gathered in the interview.
Lastly, if you don’t leave the interview excited about the company, then analyze what is missing and look for that variable in your next interview.
“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else…The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!”
– Earl Nightingale, Motivational Speaker
