How to find out what a company’s culture is really like?
You know company culture is a big deal. It’s one of the main factors distinguishing companies from each other, especially for a potential job candidate, which is why you’re constantly hearing about it.
Tech companies and startups in particular always seem to be trying to one-up the competition in terms of a cool culture full of workplace perks. Many of these companies offer much of the same; you know — the catered lunches and the in-house massages splashed across the pages of the website — but let’s be real, those don’t determine the culture.
One of my favourite definitions of culture is taken from The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit by Lois Beckwith, she describes it as “the specific and unique ways that a company is messed up; a random product of all the neuroses and insecurities of the people who work there.” What it boils down to is the approach taken with how employees are treated and what level of ownership and trust they are given. Culture is just another way of saying ‘how we work here.’
With so much noise around company culture, it can be difficult to tell if what you’re getting is the real-deal or just clever employer branding.
Here are some questions you can ask to help determine a company’s real culture:
- How would you describe your company culture?
It’s a simple, but illuminating question. Firstly, watch out for how quickly they respond; a long pause “could indicate the company doesn’t have a strong culture, or that different groups are running in different directions.”
Then, consider what they chose to highlight in their response. If they make a big deal out of the ping-pong table or the free lunches; run for the hills! Having a ping-pong table is fine, equating it to a strong indicator of company culture is not. It’s a sign that they’re branding themselves as having a fun-loving culture; but not thinking seriously about how employees work together day-to-day. No program or activity beats having happy and fulfilled employees who feel that what they are doing matters.
2. What time do people usually leave the office?
Unsurprisingly, company culture has a huge amount of impact on your lifestyle. For example, the culture might be that no one leaves before the CEO or that everyone gets kicked out of the building at 6 PM. Are you happy workin’ 9–5 or do you want complete autonomy over your work/life blend? When you’re thinking about company culture, it’s not just what will keep you happy at work — it’s also what will keep you happy at home.
If you feel uncomfortable asking the question outright, this is something that can be observed. Say you have an interview that runs post-5pm, it’s worth glancing around to see how many people are still at their desks (and whether they look unhappy about it!)
3. Where’s the washroom?
You probably already intend to arrive for your interview a few minutes early; use this time to take a look at what’s going on around you.
Are employees happy to see one another? Is the person greeting you friendly? If you ask for directions are folks helpful to point you in the right direction?
There is a lot to be gleaned from random interactions with employees who are not a direct part of your interview process. Even observation from the reception area should give you an insight into the tenor of everyday conversations.
4. What are you working on at the moment? Who else is working on that project? And what gets in the way?
This requires the hiring manager to personalize the answer and refer to their own situation. You can get some very revealing answers, ‘I wish I didn’t have to operate on such a tight budget’ or ‘I wish decisions were made faster’ that imply a great deal about the real company culture.
This is also a good opportunity to see how they speak about their co-collaborators. You’re looking for employees can’t stop talking about how they love working with other smart people and value input from across the company.
If you get the opportunity; this is a good one to ask of multiple people. You can get a sense for how their individual goals and projects roll up to supporting the greater company vision (or not — Red Flag Alert!) Ideally they are conveying palpable excitement about being part of a company that is doing something that matters in the world!
5. What are your favourite company traditions?
As discussed above I don’t buy into the idea that perks are a reflection of culture. However, I strongly believe that the existence of company traditions is an indicator of company culture. These traditions have often formed organically over time and reflect what the team truly values; for example do the answer that they love the weekly beer o’clock or their annual meditation retreat (or both!) and do you see yourself fitting into that environment?
I asked this question of everyone I met during the interview process for my current role at Opencare and found out about daily meditations, team trivia nights, the annual company retreat, a love of boardgames, the weekly kudos, the exec-ask-me-anything at all-hands and more. The fact that so many employee driven traditions were supported and sustained showed me that this was a company who took the health & happiness of their workforce seriously!
Don’t Forget to Ask for Examples
A company’s policy on anything — is only as good as the extent to which employees are living that policy in practice. If you receive a generic answer, try asking for specific examples of people who have the same job and lifestyle concerns you do. This can be a great way to work out if the benefit is something employees are actively encouraged to utilize on a regular basis.
Most companies will shout about flexible work, career growth, and organizational potential as core elements of their culture, but asking for examples is the best indicator of alignment between corporate branding and reality. If they are unable to think of examples, it’s usually a pretty good indicator that they care more about their PR than they do about their people.
