Six Ways of Reading a Work Culture – BEFORE Accepting the Offer

I hear this question almost as much as “Should I change the 15th line of my resume, because someone on the street I just met said it was important and would change my life…” or “Should I tell them my salary requirements the first time I meet them just to avoid wasting everyone’s time?” or “If I send out 500 resumes to HR departments, the odds are this will result in interviews, right?”

How many times have we heard “if only I had known!” after a job didn’t work out? Figuring out how to read the culture and your potential fit in it, of course, is critical in the decision-making process.

Here are some recommendations for figuring out some of the critical information. It’s actually possible in many instances to make an intelligent choice about accepting an offer, based on solid, and even gut-level, data.

1) Tapping into your network to see if anyone has worked, or is employed there now, is the obvious way to go. One or two opinions are not quite enough. But it’s a start.

2) Check out some of the websites where employees write about their organizations (I’m thinking of Glassdoor as an example). In the past, similar websites have frequently not been good sources for information and have been more of a venue for unhappy employees to whine. Of course, it’s important to realize that it’s tough to characterize an entire organization by one or two comments, and it would be good to get as much data as possible. But I have seen some possibly useful comments on these websites in the past few years.

3) Basic research about the organization will create some more depth of information, particularly through databases like Factiva, where there is information about how the company is doing and is perceived by several media. This research is imperative, anyway, for preparation for interviews. Wouldn’t it be helpful to find out if there have been downsizings, or shifts in direction, or any other major changes? These facts can be a resource for finding out about recent or upcoming
culture changes.

4) Pay close attention to the recruiting process. A good attitude to adopt is, if the process is unusually slow, erratic, not particularly well organized, or involves some bad behavior (missed meetings), it might be a major clue about the organizational culture. I like to think that if that first foot forward is a negative one, then the candidate shouldn’t want to see the rest of the body. There are a few notable exceptions, though. One technology giant comes to mind. Their recruiting process is awful and chaotic. I’ve had some clients have up to 15 different interviews, and then never hear back again! This is the exception to the bad foot forward idea, because the culture at this company, other than its awful recruiting process, is among the best in the world.

5) The negotiation phase of a hiring process is probably the best time to find out if the organization is the right one. Concerned about the work/life balance issues? Then ask, towards the end of the negotiating list, if the company is an early in the day one or a late in the day one. If the answer is something like “We all work very long hours” or “We work extremely hard, no matter what it takes,” then that’s saying something which might be a part of the decision. Or, if more clarification about reporting relationships is needed, then ask about how that matrix management thing actually works there. Or, what are the mobility options? A clear answer to that may be the factor that completes the decision. These questions are always among the last ones to be asked, after the money/vacation/benefits, etc. have been clarified. Many worry about asking too many questions. My take is…if not now, when?

6) Since it’s always a good idea to arrive at an interview (all interviews!) 10-15 minutes early, why not make a trip to the restroom for five of those minutes? Maybe a conversation can be overheard, and another sense of the organization can be attained that way. While we’re at it, if there’s a waiting room/reception setting, pay attention to the person at the front desk (and anyone who might pass by). Listen in a little! In most cases, even if that reception person or others are levels below the targeted position, an organizational attitude will frequently filter from the top all the way down, and be yet another piece of the process.

There probably isn’t a surefire way of knowing everything about a prospective employer. But it’s certainly worth making the effort to find out how to make the decision a more logical one.

Closing the Deal - The Wrong Concept for Interviews

When I’m analyzing a client’s or student’s career transition, trying to create a diagnosis of what may be going wrong , I’ll take a look at several critical elements:

• Are there two or three clearly defined targets?  How were these chosen?
• Are there well-designed pitches for these targets that will establish the value and unique qualities of the job seeker?
• Is his/her networking leading to contacts with decision makers?
• Are networking meetings resulting in new information, a reinforced or new relationship, and new potential contacts?  
• If interviews have taken place, is there a problem getting to the subsequent rounds? 

It is the last item on this checklist that is one of the most difficult to figure out. The job seeker is getting interviews, which is usually the most difficult part of the process. That means all the other components are working, indicating that what I consider to be the toughest aspects, especially relationship-building, have been successful. And she or he is getting past the first round of interviews, also a tough obstacle.  

Getting to the next round

I think the interview is generally the easiest part of the career transition process to fix.  

Learning how to answer the difficult questions, how to present well, how to actively listen and respond accordingly are more mechanical and direct than the somewhat amorphous nature of building networks.  

But something goes wrong when the applicant doesn’t get past that second round. Sometimes it’s pure chemistry, and sometimes it’s just not a good match. It can also be luck of the draw, perhaps even the timing of the interview. And, too often, it’s impossible to figure out what didn’t work; prospective employees end up trying to read tea leaves, endlessly.   

When the process ends after the second or third round (or later), I will ask a client or student to tell me details of all of the interviews. What I’m particularly interested in is – what was the difference in substance and tone between the second and third rounds or between subsequent ones?  

Where job seekers go wrong

In a majority of situations that haven’t worked, I have learned that the applicant’s tone has changed. 

The problem, then, might be one of two issues that occur in the advanced stages of an interview process. First, there’s the sales notion of “closing the deal.” In other words, pitch and sell hard. Be more direct. Change tone and be more assertive. 

Don’t.  

I usually advise job seekers to maintain the same tone that got them there in the first place. If an applicant gets past the initial screen, it means a representative of the organization feels it’s a good fit, stylistically and substantively. So why change in the next – or the one after that - round? 

I think it’s important to stay the same throughout the process, continue being the person they thought was a good fit at the beginning. The only thing that should change, perhaps, is adding more “war stories,” more behavioral examples of accomplishments.  

The other potential problem in advanced rounds is an assumption that it’s “in the bag,” so acting like it’s a done deal, with confidence, will reinforce the interviewer’s positive perception.

Don’t.

Never assume anything. The selling nature of interviewing should be continued throughout the entire hiring process, including negotiations. It doesn’t stop. Not even when a decision-maker indicates that you’re the lead candidate. (How many times have job seekers heard that one, and then never heard from the person again?) The tone should stay the same, and the selling should continue. 

What works

For as long as I can remember, I’ve advised people in career transition to always stick to my version of President Kennedy’s often-quoted inaugural speech, “Ask not what the organization can do for you; rather, ask what you can do for the organization.” That should be the focus of all interviews, and especially the later ones. With no change of tone.  

Ellis

For a quick course on networking, pick up my Ebook, Networking: How to Make the Connections You Need

If you're looking for more in-depth advice on your job search, In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work is available in paperback and Ebook. 

Why See a Career Advisor?

For the past year, since the publication of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job:  Career Strategies That Work, I’ve been answering readers’ questions on the Ask Ellis pages of the book website. There are some questions I’m asked so frequently, I wanted to choose one of the most popular, and the answer, here.   

Question: I'm out of work and short on funds.  Is it worth spending the money to see a career advisor?

Dear Ellis,
I've been out of work for six months. I've always been good (successful!) at search, and have been resourceful enough to figure out the best techniques. Yet, something's not working this time. I've been told over and over that I should find a good career advisor to help me, but I hate spending the money during this time when I don’t have much to spend, and don't quite know what to expect from an advisor.  
John R.

Answer: You’ll gain perspective and a whole lot more

Dear John,
This one is always a bit uncomfortable to answer, because it's tough to avoid appearing self-serving. Obviously, I think seeing an advisor is a great way to help you get through this difficult time--otherwise, I would've chosen a different career myself. (Sometimes, though, there have been times when I have told prospective clients that they might benefit more from consulting with professionals in another field.)  

Okay, that's out of the way, and I'll be as objective as possible. 

My major reason for suggesting a career advisor is about the emotional aspects--search is isolating. You've been separated from your routine, from a part of your identity, and from people you may have liked. Left on your own, you ruminate. You try to interpret every aspect of the search, for example:

• Why is this person not calling back? 
• Why isn't my resume working the way resumes should? 
• Why is it five days since they said they'd call and they had promised three? 
• Have I made the right choice in what I'm seeking? 
• Maybe it's time for a radical change? 
• And, my favorite: Why are so many people so incredibly rude during this process?   In the last interview, they told me I was the lead candidate!  And I’ve been unable to contact them again.  Total radio silence.

You go round and round in these thoughts (and so many others), don't get anywhere, and start to over-think every aspect. Some people end up reworking their resumes 10 or 12 times, almost always a serious waste of energy. Sometimes, the result of all the rumination is to make bad career decisions, just to avoid the anxiety of the process itself.  

If you have a significant other or family or both, that will probably add to the stress, no matter how supportive friends and family may be. After all, if there’s a significant other, for example, that person is just as stressed about the situation as you are. Maybe more.  

What's lacking here is perspective, and I think that's where the experienced listener and advisor play a most critical role. It always amazes me that at the end of a successful client experience, one of the comments I have heard the most over the years is--"You really understood what I was going through." 

The comments are not usually about the technical aspects of the transition, even if we spent several meetings reviewing networking, resume, and all the rest.  

An experienced consultant will be knowledgeable about the (over-hyped) significance of resumes, will help with decisions about appropriate targets, will work with interview presentation and content, will teach the value of high-touch relationship building, and, I hope, will understand and show the value of social media and social intelligence in the process.  

As for the money--if it helps you, it's worth it. Don’t think about the immediate cost; it’s all about the big picture and achieving the desired overall result. Another perspective is that it’s an investment--in you.  

Ellis

For a quick course on networking, pick up my Ebook, Networking: How to Make the Connections You Need

If you're looking for more in-depth advice on your job search, In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work is available in paperback and Ebook.