Company Culture - Does it really matter?
Early in my career, I assumed that one company was pretty much like the next in terms of work environment and culture. I could not have been more wrong. In my first job, practically every assignment was, “Here’s how we did it last time, go do it exactly the same way”; there was a detailed manual of every required calculation, and in the end other people decided whether or not to go forward with my work – it was drudgery. I changed companies and my first project was to resolve a specific performance issue of a new product in development. After only a few weeks, my boss’ boss said, “You’re in charge of resolving this issue, what do you think we should do?” It struck me that it was the first time after nearly 4 years in industry that anyone had ever asked me that! I knew then that all company cultures are not created equal. The autonomy and responsibility offered by the second company made work a joy – my ideas mattered, and I could directly impact the outcome of my projects.
The influence of company culture on day-to-day-life and to engagement and job satisfaction cannot be overestimated. When considering a role, be sure to ask about what it’s like to work there, how decisions are made, how responsibilities are divided, etc. Ask more than one person the same questions – their answers may differ. If you can, get a tour or grab a coffee with a prospective peer to get insights outside the more formal interviews.
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