Company culture matters
Often when we begin a job search, we narrow our focus on location, salary, benefits, and the transition from where we are today to where we are heading. All of these elements are important factors in deciding where you will gain the next addition to the collection of your career experiences. However, what is missing is a critical factor that will not only define your experience, but has the ability to enhance or diminish your experience overall. That factor is company culture. Company culture shapes the behavior of every employee you will meet when you decide to work at any new company. Eventually that company culture will also define your work experience, your approach to problem solving and relationship building amongst many other key factors that shape your career output. The far reaching impact of company culture is exactly why you should invest the time to learn as much as you can before committing to making a move.
Talk to other employees with varying levels of seniority within the company and different lengths of tenure to learn more about their experience of the company culture. Listen for insight about communication at the company. Are they clear on what the expectations of their role are? Do they describe key initiatives within the company and how their work contributes to the goals of the company? Do they feel appreciated and valued as an employee? Each of these elements are key indicators of a company culture that is at least functional. Employees understand where the company is heading and feel proud that their work is directly contributing to the progress. A company that understands the importance of employees who feel appreciated and valued also enjoy the benefits of high performance from an engaged workforce. While each of these elements may sound like the basics (and they are), understand that your experience in a company culture that does not have them will be wrought with confusion and frustration.
Look for a company culture that embraces and respects their subject matter experts. After all, you will be one, no matter where you end up working within the company. As your career evolves, you will undoubtedly gain experience and insight that will contribute to the success of the company. It's so much easier and more fulfilling to work in an environment that respects your point of view and guidance on topics that you have more pointed experience with. This is less about everyone agreeing with your point of view and more about working in harmony as as a team. Each person contributing what they were hired to provide. If you're an expert in finance, then you don't need someone in human resources defining how you should finalize financial reporting for the fiscal year. While it's possible that colleague may have insight on reporting tips in general, they are not the expert in your space and therefore cannot define your process. Look for companies that will hire you for your capabilities and allow you to flourish with guidance. Not a company that intentionally wants you to fall in line to fit their mold, while abandoning best practices that you have learned and executed throughout your career. Besides if everyone at the company thinks the same and follows the same approach to their work, how will innovation and evolution occur?
Be a culture champion and refuse to settle for less than a great company culture. Not only does a great company culture serve you well as an individual, it sets the tone for a cohesive and productive work environment. A positive company culture creates welcoming work spaces where teams are supportive of one another and intolerable of discriminatory practices that suppress the marginalized people in your work environment (this also applies to job levels). The more people that understand the importance of company culture and require companies to rise to the occasion, the better work becomes for everyone. Suddenly the prospect of work that benefits employees as much as companies benefit from their labor, becomes a reality.
The purpose of curating your career is to avoid being stagnant in your work. You are able to grow as an individual when you have space to learn, apply what you have learned and create work that is meaningful. Leveraging your experience to innovate is the ultimate sign of career growth.
*Written by the fire on a snowy day March.