Success at a job is largely dependent on company culture.
Some vital questions about this should be asked during a job interview.
You need to know if the culture of the organization will be a good fit for you.
Today, workplace culture strategist, Dr. Jessica Kriegel, shows us three key questions to ask.
These will help us glean information on a company’s culture.
Dr. Jessica Kriegel
In today’s episode, Lindsay has a guest, Dr. Jessica Kriegel, a workplace culture strategist.
Lindsay asks Jessica how she defines work culture.
Jessica responds simply that culture is how people think and act to create results.
She adds that you often hear a lot of other definitions about norms, beliefs, or behaviors.
When it comes to business, she points out that culture is tied up with results.
The right company culture for you
Lindsay then asks Jessica why it is so important for people to know if they will fit in with the culture of an organization.
Jessica shares that for every employee, there is a cultures that is best for you.
There is no perfect environment.
Rather, it should fit your preference so that you can thrive in the workplace.
You want to have your values aligned with the company so you can be your best.
The goal is to be authentic and be in a place that is not stressful for you.
The culture that fits you
Jessica shares a story about the work culture that’s best for her.
She clarifies that the culture that suits her won’t be what’s best for every one.
Her story is about the company she is now in.
Their core value is putting the team first.
They embrace the full humanity of an employee.
Results are important but it should not compromise the employee’s value.
Putting people first
She starts the story with a transaction she had with a vendor that didn’t end very well.
They paid this vendor a large amount of money but when they didn’t provide the service, they had to cut ties.
Jessica felt accountable for what happened since she was the one who brought the vendor on.
She told her boss she had bad news, and he was immediately worried and asked what happened.
She was embarrassed and said that the vendor didn’t deliver, causing the company to lose hundreds of dollars.
Her boss was relieved and said that’s just business.
He had been worried that something happened to her daughter.
Perspective
Jessica’s employer tells her to keep things in perspective.
Results are important for their company but that comes and goes.
She knows they care about her, and they took it as a lesson to do better moving forward.
Being valued as an employee may be important for you in a company culture.
Others may prefer a workplace that challenges them in a different way.
Culture equation
Jessica will share three questions that you can ask an interviewer to understand the culture of a company.
This is called the Culture Equation.
It is a model for intentionally crafting the way people think and act to get results at work.
This equation provides a systematic way of questioning an organization’s operations.
#1: What is the organization’s purpose or mission statement?
This is a good first question to understand what motivates them to accomplish their goal.
You can understand the meaning behind their actions and policies.
It is a red flag if the business leader and the rest of the team doesn’t know the company’s purpose.
This means they are money-driven and there will likely be toxicity.
#2: What are the strategic plans for how this company is going to win?
You want to learn the big bets that the leadership team has made to bring the company closer to its goal.
There are a lot of companies who know their purpose but don’t have the strategies to make this vision a reality.
It is important to know their plans to fulfill their purpose.
#3: What is the way people think and act to get results here?
Lastly, you want to dig into the culture and learn how the people you’ll potentially be working with think and act to get results.
You’re going to understand their passion and emotional experience with this question.
Takeaway
You must be ready in an interview to ask about a company’s culture.
You need to know if your goals and values align with theirs regarding their purpose, strategy, and culture.
To find more resources from Jessica, you can check out her podcast at www.podcast.culture.io.
Her podcast “Culture Leaders” will be out in 2024.
They are going to interview masters of movements and how they inspired movement on a broad scale for things they are passionate about.
She also has a weekly LinkedIn newsletter called “This Weekend Culture.”
Follow her on LinkedIn so you can stay tuned to that to keep updated about the world of business culture.
What is your preferred work culture?
Share it in the comments below because we always love to hear from you.
Jessica’s bio
Dr. Jessica Kriegel, a workplace culture strategist. She is a Doctor of Leadership and Management and Fortune 100 Thought Leader and Speaker. For over 15 years, Jessica has been guiding global, national, Fortune 100 and other organizations on how to create intentional cultures that power business strategy and accelerate performance. She will be the host of the Culture Leaders Podcast, coming out in early 2024.
