How to Assess Workplace Culture
- 1). Observe workplace behavior. Simple yet keen observation about a workplace can reveal many clues about the workplace culture.
For example, are employees regularly on the job early or staying late? Extended time at work can indicate that work-life is out of balance in employer values. Even as you walk through the hallways between interviews, you can observe people's demeanor---are they smiling and talking and being social? Or are they walking quickly with their heads down from room to room? You can also get clues about the corporate culture by paying attention to a theme in the interviewer's questions. For example, if a set of interviewers continually ask questions about how you handle stressful deadlines, you might conclude there are frequently stressful deadlines. - 2). Read the company's annual report. A company's annual report doesn't just report on financial performance, it lays out the fundamental tenets of the company. Does the company value customer satisfaction? Do they believe in the value of innovation and encourage it in their employees? Is the company on a growth trajectory?
- 3). Ask questions of current and past employees, including those in your online and social networking circles like LinkedIn and Plaxo. Simply asking someone about the corporate culture may reveal a "programmed response." Instead, ask questions that cause the person to respond instinctively and about a situation rather than explicitly about culture. For example, you can ask what aspect of the company would not be obvious to you by walking around the office. Or ask what one thing about the company surprised that person when they first joined. If you are interviewing with someone who reports to the same person you would report to, you can ask your interviewer to describe how the manager handled a particular situation.
- 4). Read the employee policy manual. An employee manual can provide several clues about workplace culture. For example, does the policy manual say that there are absolutely no work-at-home provisions? Or does it say that working at home is up to the manager's discretion? Does it say that employees must be at their desk by 8 a.m., or does it talk about flex-time opportunities?
- 5). Google the company. A quick Google search can reveal what others are saying about the company both directly and indirectly. What does it say about workplace culture if a company says that they value customer satisfaction, but you find a volume of unhappy customers who are publicly writing about the company?
Source...