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When people look for jobs, they are mostly focused on a fairly narrow set of
criteria such as salary, job title, and commuting time. An important factor
that most people don't give much thought to until after accepting a new
position is the corporate culture. While just about everyone who isn't happy
with the culture of the company they work for complains about it after
they're hired, very few people examine corporate culture before accepting a
job.
CAUSES OF CORPORATE CULTURE
The main driver of a company's culture is its senior management team. These
people set the stated business objectives. They also set unstated
guidelines by the way in which they manage people. For example, Jack Welch
set a culture of people focused on competition and selling more than
competitors when he set a business objective that all GE companies had to be
#1 in their markets. Sam Walton set a corporate culture of attention to
detail by visiting individual Wal-Mart stores personally and inquiring about
minute issues.
COMPONENTS OF CORPORATE CULTURE
Sense of Urgency - While just about all business managers will tell you
their objectives are important, there is often a discrepency between what
they say and the decisions they make. By asking employees to work however
many hours it takes to finish projects and demanding that deadlines be met,
managers create a corporate culture where performance is highly valued.
Many managers, on the other hand, put a premium on employee comfort and low
stress levels, and therefore do not demand that employees work harder or
more hours to accomplish objectives. If you're a performance-minded person,
there's a good chance you'll be unhappy in a comfort-minded company. People
who are goal-oriented and who are looking to accomplish a lot in their
careers, can feel stifled by a corporate culture that does not want to
"overwork" its employees.
Business Size - Business size has a major impact on job satisfaction.
Working at a large company, you may feel distant from decision making and
having an impact. However, large companies generally provide more
opportunities for career advancement. Large companies can also provide more
social interaction, opportunities for after-work activities, etc.
Business Philosophy/Identity - Most companies tend to have a unique identity
and philosophy. For some companies, they pride themselves on giving back to
the community. Some are focused on making as much money for their employees
as possible. And others are focused on providing a great work environment
and being a place people want to work. Finding a business with a philosophy
that matches your values will make getting up for work in the morning much
more enjoyable!
Management Style - Some managers give their employees wide lattitude to make
decisions. Others want to be involved in details and have more control over
everything that's going on.
Degree of Trust - In some companies, people openly trust each other and
share information with their co-workers. At other companies, people are
secretive and even distrustful.
Understanding of Personal Issues - It's possible for a company to be focused
on performance, but to still be generous with its employees in times of
personal need (such as when someone has a sick family member).
WAYS TO DETERMINE CORPORATE CULTURE
It's often possible to get a sense of a company's culture by looking at
their web site. They may include speeches from their senior managers or
news items discussing company initiatives that indicate cultural values.
Before interviewing, it's a good idea to think about the values you'd want a
company you work for to have, and if it's not obvious to you the company has
them, ask the person you're interviewing with what the company's philosophy
is on the issue. Ask for examples to be sure the interviewer isn't just
selling you on the company and can provide facts to back up their
assertions. By asking culture questions and showing that you are interested
in making sure you and the company fit well together, you're also
communicating to the interviewer that you're a professional and that you are
looking for a job that really makes sense for you.
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