I made a “mistake” when I joined my last organization. The culture just wasn’t right. How can I learn about the real culture of a company while I’m in the throes of interviewing with that company and not when it’s too late?
If you look at a mission statement for any company, they all use the similar verbiage. No company is going to say “Gee, we’re unethical and we’re run like a dictatorship.” How do you get to the heart of a corporate culture while still in the interviewing stage?
The participants of one of our “Coffee & Conversation” small networking groups said it was important to ask questions of every person you meet during your interview process. Their answers will help paint a picture. Remember, a company is not just interviewing you; you’re interviewing the company as well.
They also advised that the candidate contact search firms and consulting firms. A search firm’s area of expertise is corporate cultures and they can be extremely helpful in getting to the core.
One of the participants in our “Coffee & Conversation” networking group interviewed with a major pharmaceutical company. The company had a wonderful reputation. Although their products are fabulous (which is why they had such a strong reputation) this individual was interviewing for a staff role. The corporate culture, for those who were not in R&D, meant limited career opportunities. This participant obtained these insights by speaking with three different search consultants who knew the organization.