Imagine accepting a new job and thinking the culture was a perfect match for your personality. You’re excited not only about salary, but you’ll be in an environment that you enjoy. Then soon after you start, you uncover the truth that it’s not nearly as ideal as you thought it was. You’re completely disappointed.
Unfortunately, this is a common experience. In fact, only 19 percent of employees felt strongly that the work experience their employer promotes publicly matched up with the reality of working there, according to a Weber Shandwick study. In other words, what job seekers saw on social media or a career website and heard from recruiters about the company was inconsistent with what they found when they started working there.
How can you uncover the truth about culture before you take a position? Here are some ways to be a super sleuth and learn about a company’s true cultural identity.
Be a Google master
Start on the company’s website exploring the career and background pages, but don’t stop there. Continue to sites like Glassdoor.com to see anonymous reviews from real employees who will give you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Finally, search [organization name AND company culture] and poke through results.
Explore social media
Social media can sometimes give a more authentic peek into a company than what is posted on their official website (which probably went through countless reviews before being approved). Check out Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Better yet, go a step further and interact with the company on social media and see how the experience is.
Connect with employees
Want to separate fact from fiction about a company’s culture? Get it from the horse’s mouth. Work your professional network and try to connect with current and past employees. These folks can give true insider information that can be invaluable. Be prepared with specific questions to help you gain the insight you need to make the right decision.
Observe for hidden meaning
There’s a lot going on during an interview, but one of the best ways to get info on culture is to observe before, during, and after the interview. How are people interacting with each other? Do they seem happy? How are people dressed and what does the office look like? Are the lunch room and bathroom clean, meaning they take pride in the building? You can learn a lot just by looking.
