Why company culture matters
Company culture is such an important part of the graduate job hunt nowadays.
So, we’ve put together some expert advice on why you should care about company culture, and how to research it:
Company culture reviews
It’s much easier to assess the real culture of a company today.
We can look beyond brand mission statements to assess real lived experiences of company culture vs. values.
Services like JobSage enable employees to share their experiences of the firms that hire them. So, others can gain a true insight into how a workplace operates!
Independent, honest company culture reviews allow prospective new hires to make more informed decisions.
With this prior knowledge, you can come to a clearer decision on whether a company ethos fits your personality.
Obviously, there are lots of other ways to look for red flags that show an employer isn’t necessarily the right fit. But services like this can save a lot of time!
Moreover, this trend encourages accountability in organizations of all sizes. Modern companies know they can be fairly critiqued by employees.
This incentivises them to act on their word and to assure they are a company with good practices.
Job satisfaction relies on companies with good values
Careers are more than making enough money to live and retire comfortably. Personal health and happiness are, of course, more complex than this.
Job satisfaction is increasingly prioritised in job searches, which bodes well for companies with good cultures.
According to one study, the vast majority of people would trade a bigger salary for employment that gives meaning to their existence.
There are many different company culture goals that will satisfy different types of people. However there are a few near-universally applicable aspects revealed in the research.
Four in five workers would happily turn down a 20% pay rise if they were managed by someone who had an interest in guaranteeing them job satisfaction.
This is just one example of many. However it is clear that modern career professionals hold more stock in working for businesses that believe company culture matters.
People want to work for companies that give them meaning day-to-day. Hefty pay packets should not be the only thing in your mind when trying to find the right job for you.
So, make sure you are looking to work for companies that have a clear company culture strategy!
Strong company culture and values equate to a more successful business
Choosing a company with a good culture is not exclusively about doing the right thing for your mental health.
Organisations that work to make themselves inclusive, diverse, and culturally progressive will be more profitable as well.
Clearly, though, this is a spectrum.
However a company that seeks to employ a greater range of people is logically better equipped to overcome a bigger range of challenges. Think about it, it makes sense!
This again poses questions about finding and selecting the right company to work for.
If you find a business that truly understands company culture benefits, you’ll likely find yourself on a better career path.
An employer that is equipped to survive in its industry in the long term has likely considered its culture and values.
Committing to an up-and-coming organization that is diverse in its makeup and progressive in its culture is endlessly beneficial.
Furthermore, a company with a strong grasp on its progressive ethos will treat its employees’ careers as something it wants to progress. It’ll be less likely you’ll be treated as disposable cogs in a machine.
Such claims will have to be backed up by actions, but the point still stands; the right opportunity has to be entwined with an exploration of company culture.
Look out for a clear company culture strategy
Last of all, it is necessary to see through the culture-based statements of prospective employers and interpret what they actually mean.
For example, a lot of businesses might refer to its employees as a ‘family’. In theory, it is great if everyone at a company shares the same goals and ambitions.
Look into how a company goes about implementing this vague-sounding state of affairs. And whether they actually have any company culture training or exercises in place.
As you might expect, the central tenet has to be social.
Teams that share both values and social experiences tend to succeed more.
This has become more of a challenge in an age where more team members may be working remotely. The camaraderie of a shared office space is a great tool in strong team bonding.
Company culture and remote work is a big talking point at the moment.
It is important to make sure any company you may be applying to has a plan to sustain its values via remote work.
It is as important for a company to protect its employees and implement its culture through Zoom and Teams.
So, when trying to find the right role for you, make sure the company isn’t all talk!
