“Since 1998 the 100 Best Companies [to work for] have outperformed the S&P 500 index by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1,” according to a study in Fortune.
Businesses on the “Best Companies” list earned their spot by building a strong, company culture. If
What Defines a Great Company Culture?
It’s helpful to understand that there are differing definitions of company culture. Many companies define their “casual culture” as jeans and sweatshirts in the dress code, bring your dog to work or catered lunches on Fridays. However, what would happen if these things disappeared? Would the defined culture disappear, too? Cool stuff around the office and lax dress codes may seem like culture, however, these perks simply represent the workplace environment.
Rand Fishkin, CEO of Moz, agrees. He believes that “cultural fit should be defined by
Unfortunately, other business experts, like Ron Friedman, view shared company culture as
Frankly, I completely disagree.
“Similarities” in people don’t define company culture. The dictionary definition of organizational culture is “values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.” Similar people aren’t hired to fit culture – it’s about finding people who share the same values.
Culture teaches you how diversity can bring teams together. A team member could be a great cultural fit, but still be different from others they work with. That’s because culture is not synonymous with one-size-fits-all.
As Rand said, “cohesion isn’t about finding lots of people who are the same, but about making sure there’s no one on the team that detracts from others & that many get more enjoyment and progress from the diverse perspectives their co-workers bring.”
Why should you care about Company Culture?
50 percent of Americans spend up to 50 hours per week at work. With most of your hours of the week spent at work, it’s important to really love what you do – and the work culture you’re
Companies that understand culture, place more emphasis on finding candidates who fit the culture, more so than screening them on their ability to check off a list of qualifications or skills. Culture guides how employees think, act & feel. If we think right, act right and feel right, we can potentially make the biggest impact
At Seer we have 11 values that help unite us as
Tips to Uncover A Company’s True Culture
You’ll never love what you do if your company’s culture is terrible – or if it’s not real company sh*t. Companies aren’t perfect and it’s okay for them to make mistakes (except not these Lululemon mistakes).
How can you see through the bullshit and pinpoint a company’s true culture?
- Sign up for the company’s newsletter
- Subscribe to the company’s blog
- Find the blog posts about company
culture
- Find the blog posts about company
- Follow them on social media
- What is the CEO talking about?
- Are team members practicing what they preach?
- Interact with a of couple employees – do they respond?
- Analyze their lines of service
For an example, if a digital marketing agency offers SEO services, how’s their website’s SEO? Are they producing and ranking well for
Once you’ve done research on discovering a company’s true culture, you can better understand what’s important to the company and what makes them stand out.
Next, look inside yourself: understand what beliefs, priorities and stylistic cohesion mean to you. Learn how to identify them during the interview process. Ask yourself: what environment will I thrive in? Do I want to be an impact player?
During the interview, don’t be afraid to ask the employer if they walk the walk. You found
Final Company Culture Takeaway
Culture fit works and brings people together in a special way. For example, I’m surrounded by people who help me
Have a different take on company culture? Share your comments below or tweet me @alexis_wolfer to talk about culture-fit and company culture experiences.