We’ve mentioned the idea of Workplace Culture before in our ‘What Do Millennials Want From A Job’ blog and how it doesn’t have a set definition, but instead is a collaborative term for a company’s beliefs, how they treat their staff and how much importance they place on a work/life balance among other elements.
While it may not be one of the first values that you consider when you look for your next career step, finding the right working environment and staff morale can make or break a job and keep you happy and productive. If you want to know how to find out if a job’s workplace culture is right for you, read on for all of our tips.
 

What’s a motto, nothing what’s a motto with you?

Before you apply for a job do your homework on the company and see what their motto, vision or mission statement says. As this is the key piece of information that sums up a business and conveys its desires and beliefs to others, you need to check that you agree with what has been said and that you share the same values or this could be a match made in hell not heaven. If you decide to proceed you could even ask during interview how the company acts on these core beliefs and expresses them in the day-to-day running of the business to gain more of an insight and to see if they practice what they preach.
 

Read all about it!

Sometimes other people can give you just as much of an indication about a company as you can gauge for yourself so try reading some reviews that previous employees have posted. Don’t just read two negative ones and make your decision based on that, as there will always be one or two negative nellies that think the company coffee is worth a one-star review, but make a note of any consistent themes like poor leadership, no room for development or a poor relationship between employees and more senior staff.
 

There’s no place like home

No working environment is going to look like the offspring of Disneyworld and your living room for maximum fun and comfort so don’t base your career choice on the comfiness of the office couch, but you shouldn’t work in a space that will drive you up the cubicle wall either. If the office is so quiet you could hear a pin drop and you find you are at your most productive when there is a little background noise then it may not be the best space for you and likewise if you’re all about efficiency and organisation and the place looks like it’s been invested by Gremlins stay away.
 

You’ve got a friend in me

Another key aspect that will help you to find out if a job’s workplace culture is right for you is how staff members interact with one another. If you get the sense that there are a lot of petty arguments or hostility between colleagues making a tense environment then maybe even your ‘I’m new’ brownies won’t cut it, while seeing if people have complained about poor treatment from senior staff or managers is also a good indicator. If you’re hard as a bed of nails and squabbles don’t bother you then maybe you’ll survive, but no one should work for employers that don’t treat staff with respect, are rude, offensive or aggressive.
 
If you want to find the perfect workplace for you then check out all of the jobs we have on offer!