5 Ways to Learn About an Organisation’s Culture in an Interview.

Ben Wheeler • March 11, 2019

‘Culture’ is considered to be just about the most critical piece of the puzzle when looking to accept a job offer.

Here are the top ways to learn about an organisation’s culture:

  • It’s fast and easy to ‘’Google’’ your potential employer. What does their online brand portray? Many organisations will have a social media presence that allows you to get a good understanding of what their culture looks like; research their social media through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Whilst review websites on your prospective employer can be insightful, they do not always provide a fair portrayal of the company.
  • Arrive early and observe. If you have the opportunity to sit in reception, take it; it is amazing what you can learn about the company culture from there. Strike up a conversation with whomever greets you. Seeing how the other employees interact can be very telling.
  • Interview your interviewer, ‘’what keeps you here?’’. ‘’How would you describe the culture?’’ Pay attention to the time it takes to get a response. You will quickly be able to spot the rehearsed corporate line, versus someone who is passionate about their organisation.
  • Ask your network, it is highly likely someone in your network will have interacted with this organisation. An organisation’s reputation is very telling. Generally, organisations with a poor company culture will be talked about…….a lot.
  • What are the organisation’s values? Are they defined? Do they align with your own?

Hopefully, these tips help you to make the right decision. Joining an organisation with a ’bad’ culture, perceived or otherwise, is often the reason people are looking for a new role in the first place!

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