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How to Avoid a Catastrophic Cultural Mismatch

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in at a company?

True story: Joy hired on at a small company that her interviewers described as “quiet.” Great—although social, Joy preferred a quiet work environment to a raucous one. Little did she know “quiet” meant nobody talked to anyone, ever—not in the break room, not to say “good morning,” not to ask a question to the person in the next cubicle–her own boss only talked to her once, on her first day. This silent culture wasn’t a good fit for the social Joy, who resigned two months later.

And cultural mismatch isn’t isolated to Joy: a recent OfficeTeam survey found that two-thirds of employers have lost a staff member due to a bad cultural fit. So how to avoid a catastrophic cultural mismatch during your next job search? You can hope your interviewers are candid when you ask. Or you can take matters into your own hands with a little investigation.

Use your web savvy to find current and former employees’ reviews on websites like Indeed or Glassdoor. Under the guise of anonymity, employees share their true feelings for all the web to see. Next, check out the company’s website. The voice and tone of the website says a lot, but pages like “Working at Our Company” or “Life at Our Company” can tell you even more. If no such pages exist, it could be that culture or employee satisfaction are not foremost on the company’s radar.
Leverage social media, either by actively engaging the company’s profiles or by watching the company interact with others (although lurking won’t get you noticed!). How active is the company’s engagement? Does it share news, tips, or humor, or just push products? Are the posts rigid or conversational? Does a real-life person respond with a thoughtful answer when a follower comments or asks a question?
Sort through your network for a connection to a current or former employee. It’s best to do this organically, if you can, instead of cold-calling the first name in the company directory. Or you can call the Human Resources main line and share that you’re interested in applying, and that you would like to learn more about the company’s culture. Best case, the person on the phone will field your question, or will put you in touch with someone who can.
Look around the office while you’re waiting to be interviewed. Yes, this is a last-minute effort to assess the company’s culture, but it’s also a powerful one. Are the office colors drab or vibrant? What pictures or photos are on the wall? How do employees interact with each other and with you? Are they smiling, laughing, or chatting, or passing one another without making eye contact? Bottom line: does the office look inviting, does the feeling you get jive with your research, and does this seem like somewhere you’d be happy working? Trust your instincts!

For many people, being happy at work means loving your company’s culture and feeling like you belong. With some proactive research, you can find a culture that’s right for you, and curb a catastrophic cultural mismatch before you join the team.

Employers, be sure to tune in to the next YES! Your Human Resources Solution blog, where we’ll discuss the importance of cultural fit in a new-hire.

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