“Company culture”, what it really means and why you should care about it

When job hunting, you often see phrases like ‘company culture’ or ‘company values’ in job ads and on company profiles. It can be a little bit confusing. And you might not  see the connection between a company culture and your enjoyment working there. Here’s why should be.

What is company culture and why is it important?

So, what’s the purpose of a company culture? A successful company culture model brings colleagues together and gives them a common purpose, a common set of values and a common way of thinking and working together. It’s the guiding motivation or mission behind every person’s work. Furthermore, culture usually incorporates the company’s values as well. These are usually a set of beliefs that a company cares about and works towards promoting within their business. In short, company culture often represents the “why” behind the company’s operations. Company culture can also impact the working style of a business, and it's important that you work somewhere that suits you and your approach.

How to know if a culture suits me?

Knowing what company culture is and why it’s important is one thing, finding out which type of company culture suits you is a whole other thing. Hopefully, there are some concrete things you can do to help you with this.

Before beginning your job search:

• Write down things that matter to you - these can be hobbies, political beliefs, passions or people you admire
• Understand the way you work - a company’s culture can also affect the working style of its employees, so understanding how you work best is important, this could vary from the time you like to work to whether you prefer working alone or in a team
• Use your experiences - if you  have completed work experience or an internship at a company where you felt like you fit in, research their company culture and values and use these as a benchmark when looking for new positions
• Think of the bigger picture - if there’s a company you admire or would love to work for, research their company culture and try to understand what about their ethos is attractive or impressive to you 

Going through these steps and having this knowledge at the forefront of your mind helps you know what you’re looking for and decide whether a company’s list of values matches yours.

How can I find out what a company’s culture is? 

Today, most companies are very open about their culture and their values. You can usually find this information on their websites and social media accounts - or on their JobTeaser company profiles. When it comes to values, a lot of big companies will have Diversity and Inclusion departments. These departments and employees are responsible for the diversity at the company level and to ensure that all employees from a minority community are looked after, supported and protected by the company and its culture.

Most companies have videos and blog posts which describes their company values and culture. These often include interviews with employees that provide you with personal and specific insights into what it’s really like to work at a company and what they really care about. You can usually find these resources on a company's social media, such as their LinkedIn or YouTube pages.  

Speakinq of LinkedIn, connecting with current employees on the social network and asking them about company culture, work style and values can also be a good way to have a real insight into what it's really like to work somewhere.

OK, but what are some real life examples of company culture?

Bloomberg talks about their four core values that are the foundation of their continued success: innovation, collaboration, customer service and doing the right thing

Nike believes in the transformative power of sport and their desire to have teams that reflect the diversity of their customer base and creating a culture of inclusivity

HubSpot describes their inclusive company culture where employees have the flexibility and support to do their best work along with H.E.A.R.T., an acronym they use to capture the qualities that they believe make for great co-workers: Humble, Empathetic, Adaptable, Remarkable, Transparent

As values and culture are great things to talk about in an interview, they might even help you get the job. It shows you’ve done your research and also helps you to present yourself as a match for the company.