Corporate Culture and Employee fit
In a slight departure from my blog themes about entrepreneurship, let’s visit the topic of corporate culture. Maybe it’s not a vast departure, since this topic should resonate with entrepreneurs as much as corporate leaders. One of the topics I write about is defining the core value of your business, why that’s important, and how to empower the team. Think of your core value as your vision or mission. The culture of a business is the result of how their core value is implemented.
I just read Leaders Eat Last (Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t) by Simon Sinek (2014, Penguin Group). This is a book about leadership and culture. Specifically, it describes what went wrong in the business world that led to a cultural preponderance of numbers first and people second. It cites examples of both great and failed leadership, why our political system is broken, and how biology drives many of our decisions and actions.
For this article, let’s focus on one aspect of culture, what we generically call “fit.” What is often the case during the hiring process is simply matching skill set to job function. What should happen is both company and applicants need to figure out if they will be compatible. The company must determine if the prospective employee will adapt to the hierarchy, processes, prevailing attitudes, physical environment, and company values. The prospect hopeful must evaluate if he or she will feel welcome and comfortable, be productive, and enjoy working in and for this company.
Types of Cultures
What I’ve seen and heard over the past few years is that neither (most) companies nor job seekers are very good at determining cultural fit. There are three general cultural categories or environments. Two of these are quite easy for both the hiring manager and the job seeker to measure the fit.
The first is a culture that stresses “making the numbers.” It’s a cubicle lined, every person for themselves world of getting through the week and collecting a paycheck. Fit? Management cares about what’s on the resume, very little about character or attitude. The working bodies are thinking about the money and the weekend. The interview process is probably quick, resume focused, impersonal . . . probably with just one person.
The other “easy to determine fit” example is the small entrepreneurial company. Small means you probably get to meet and evaluate owners. Entrepreneurial almost always means the three “C’s” – creativity, cooperation, and team communication are prevalent. Personal satisfaction is there for the taking. In a recent personal experience, I interviewed with and was hired by a small, entrepreneurial software company. They could describe their needs and the bigger picture (i.e. their goals and mission). The process was more of a conversation than an interview. I could perceive growing pains and a busy, energetic, customer-focused team. Easy to see a good fit for both of us.
The overwhelming majority of companies, however, fall in the middle. They’re environments where it’s difficult for the applicant to determine the existing type of leadership, extent of creativity and productivity, or the level of personal satisfaction among the team. The company will have a more extensive interview process and get beyond resume skills, but will probably still fall short of a good “fit” analysis. The interview process – who, how, and logistics – is the key to evaluating fit, for both sides.
That process (including research) has to be in-depth probing of culture, aptitude, and attitude – for both interviewer and interviewee. Here are some suggestions that will help both sides determine fit – at least they’ll have a much better chance of making a good decision.
Company
- A couple questions about past jobs and pertinent skills are sufficient to determine aptitude for the role. Resume details (history, skills, technical knowledge) got the person an interview, so all you’re doing is verifying that information.
- Evaluate attitude and verbal communication skills through casual conversation. Of course, these days you have to be cautious about personal probing. You can ask, for example, about hobbies, travels, and sports. Find ways to engage the applicant without invading the discriminatory topics.
- Research: call references; check Linked In profile. Evaluate written communication skills through emails, Linked In, or possibly some written document. That might be a cover letter received with the resume or, better if the applicant can provide something they’ve written (previous job related, e.g.). Ask!
Prospective Employee
- Check the company’s website: Is it visually pleasing, easy to follow, informative, friendly? What’s the content tone or style – formal, lighthearted, conversational? Look for “value statements” – vision, mission, community involvement.
- Is the interview canned or an open conversation? Do you get to ask questions too? Have some ready. Evaluate the people you meet and talk with. Do they match the impression you get from their website and from their office environment?
- Explore the chain of command. Who do you report to and what happens if that person is replaced or not available for some period of time? Who does your prospective boss report to? Probe into decision-making as much as you can. Find out if people are empowered to make decisions, solve problems – without having to go through multiple channels (or always have to “check with the boss”).
- What’s the physical environment like – office and your personal space? Will you be comfortable with it?
Determining fit can be challenging, but absolutely worth the effort. It boils down to conversation, research, “digging under the covers,” and careful assessment. Not everything is going to be a perfect fit. That’s where both sides must weigh the importance of what fits and what may take some adjustment or time (to change or adapt). The old, but effective, two column list of good vs bad, positive vs negative, or great fit vs needs work might be the best way to get to an answer.