What are the most effective strategies for identifying your ideal work environment?

Pay attention to how you feel when envisioning yourself in a day in the life of the role. Regardless of the money you could earn, will you like it? Does your energy sink, or do you feel fired up? Emotions and curiosity are powerful tools you already have within you that can help guide you in the right direction. Lead with what lights you up. That's your direction. Get curious and don't be afraid to ask the questions you really want to know the answers to during the interview process. You may not know exactly what the job will be, but you likely know how you want to feel in your ideal next role. Following your instincts in your search and interview process will help you align with the right opportunity.

Model your best - AND your worst Think back to the best workplace environment and culture in your career. What made it so great? What was the culture like in that experience? Was it an open office, more traditional or something else entirely. Write these positive attributes down and measure what you are looking at in a new opportunity against these criteria. Equally as important is to think about the WORST experience of your career too. What made that environment not work for you? What was the culture like there? What made the workplace so tough to navigate? What were the behaviors and characteristics that didn't work for you? Write these down too. Use these as well as the positive ones to form questions and areas to investigate further.

Your wants and needs criteria should be documented and for self-awareness, you may consider completing a couple of formal assessments to generate more clarity about yourself. Personally, I've found the enneagram to be a helpful mirror of my personality that reported my high and low moments, areas of challenge, and how people see me. But I also discovered a lot about my working style from that report that's provided after the assessment.

What is the best work environment for you? For perspective, look back to all the organizations you have worked with. Where do you feel you have thrived the most? What about that organization(s) made that work environment work so well for you?

When deciding what you need from a work environment, you must first understand what a "work environment" means. Work environment can mean the physical environment, the unseen environment, or a combination of both. When you first understand what the work environment means to you, decide what organizations align with the work environment you want, and create and implement the plan to work for those organizations.

Besides using sites like Glassdoor to do research on the work environment and culture, another good way is by talking to people who is working or has worked in the company. This could be your direct or indirect network (ask someone in common to introduce), or someone you looked up on LinkedIn. Craft a message that is professional and polite, citing something you have observed about the person (eg. his or her posts that resonated with you) and express interest to seek their advice. Chances are, they will be happy to help.

When researching potential employers, the #1 method that has consistently worked is speaking directly with employees at the company you are researching. Spend the time to network with 3 individuals who work in different departments within the company you are researching. By getting the perspective of individuals from other departments, you will get a balanced overview, giving you a more accurate picture of the work environment and culture.

We all know that a candidates' journey with an organisation starts well before they apply for a role! Help yourself be informed and prepared for any interview to give yourself the best chance to be successful. Every organisation will have collateral you can engage in that highlights that they are 'a great place to work', but try to get a sense of what current and former employees are saying - but be mindful that individual opinions may be biased (positive or negative) and may not be a true reflection of the company's culture or financial success. Keep abreast of any market updates to understand how the business is performing. Most importantly, ask questions throughout the process to stay informed!

Prep For Your Interview 1. Check what's happening! Check social media sites, what's in the news, YouTube videos, and recent feeds associated with the organization you are interviewing with. 2. Research the people whom you will be interviewing with. What might be a good icebreaker question with them? 3. Develop a 1-2 minute pitch about yourself. They will definitely ask you to "tell me about yourself."

Always prepare well for an interview, and that is not just about answering questions, but asking questions of your own. This is important to get a sense of the work environment. Remember, you are trying to identify your ideal work environment. What is their on-site versus remote arrangement? What do they view as key indicators in measuring performance? Who will you be working closely with, and how are they like? You notice that this interviewer has been with the company for 10 years, what does he/she enjoy and find most satisfaction in?

I suggest having several questions prepared to ask the interviewer(s). It demonstrates you are prepared, thoughtful, and truly interested in the position and company. The opportunity to ask questions can come up organically during the interview or saved to the end. One question I highly encourage candidates to ask the hiring manager is - “What does success look like in this position and how is it measured?” This question will provide your roadmap to success. You will learn what is expected, what you need to do, how you get there and how you will be measured. Be prepared to ask additional clarifying questions. You will learn if the position will be challenging or not, and if the measurables are realistic and achievable.

Whilst an interview is an opportunity for an employer to learn more about your skills, experience, and cultural fit, it's also a great opportunity for you to assess how suitable that organisation is for you and your career objectives. Think about some questions that you genuinely want to know the answer to. You might be looking for a role where you can stretch yourself, or an environment where well-being, investment in professional development, and collaboration are prioritised. Whatever your motivators are, ask the questions that will give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

When preparing for interviews, focus on three things: #1. Your accomplishments- be prepared to have in-depth conversations about your successes. #2. Prepare ten questions that you can ask, which focus on the following: communication, performance management, solving problems, creating opportunities, innovation, revenue generation and cost savings. #3. Be Your Authentic Self. Be you ( the good, the bad, and ugly). Authenticity sells.

After the interview, it is important to list out the good and not so good points and figure out which side weighs more. Go with your intuition. Your gut feelings will give you a hint always. Listen to it and also discuss it with someone who you trust if needed to.

You really need to determine what is most important to you and weigh those items. If you have any concerns make sure to address them head on, ask lots of questions.

Negotiating job offers should be automatic. Organizations will always hold back on offers and have room to improve the job offer. Implement the 5-7% rule. Counter offer the base salary by 5-7%, if the offer is within your salary range. Consider adding and/or negotiating other compensation variables, such as sign-on bonuses, retention bonuses, and spot bonuses, in your negotiations if these variables don't exist.

Take some time to do some due diligence on the market and where your position sits from a responsibility and remuneration perspective. Think about your 'non-negotiable' points, but also give consideration to aspects that you may need to flex on if you are serious about securing the role you have been offered. You might prioritise hybrid-working over the extra $5k, or you might want your next role to offer professional development opportunities and are therefore happy to forgo other benefits like gym memberships and discounts. Whatever it is, be clear but also be commercial and realistic about the offer. What is reasonable to request and what isn't? Having this clearly defined will ensure your negotiations are respectful and meaningful.

Be clear on your NOs. Up to 2-3 deal breaking conditions. State them openly. Leave everthing else open, don't fall for perks. A real hardcore NO cannot be overturn by 10000000 perks, or it's not a real NO.

When joining a new company, you might want to give yourself and the team sometime to adjust. Atleast 1-3 months to settle it, get to know and learn at the job. Balance your time, keep a tab of your schedule, prioritize and open up when you are ready to fly. You can learn from your leaders, peers as well as juniors. Learn as much as you can and share. First 3 months are the most crucial period to adjust and figure out the fit.

If you really embody your mindset, you'll se how the work environment gets modeled around you, not vice versa. Easier said than done. But if you respect the boundaries & NOs set form the beginning (see comment above) you teach people that this is how you are. Not convinced? Think how many people underperform at work and nothing seems to happen to them. This is who they are and others give up after a while. WHY wouldn't it work with your terms and boundaries too? Maybe because you are the 1st to believe that they're not "ok", "you exaggerate", "one couldn't possibly ask for that" etc. Give it some thought, please!

I confess, when I joined a new company in a complete different environment I initially struggled to find the right balance. It was really hard because my previous background was rigorous and formal. So what could I do other than try to align myself with this new mindset? I only did one thing, which in my opinion is fundamental! I brushed off my old habits and followed the current. Always be open to new experiences! Don’t shut yourself off, give yourself the chance to let something very special and unique into your life. Embrace your new environment and celebrate your success!!!

Listen carefully to what the hiring manager says. Apart from the website, and online reviews, the one person who will affect your daily life is your immediate boss. Are they in alignment with a positive workplace or do they simply pay lip service to the vision statement? Be sensitive to red flags and probe on comments they make like, "Are you ready to commit to a fast-paced, hard-driving team that relentlessly pursues the customer experience? We work hard, and of course, there are times we play hard." Give them an example of a past commitment you've made to a customer and ask if that is the type of time, and energy they are looking for. Don't assume you're talking the same language

Job Shadowing can be an effective strategy for identifying your ideal work environment. The opportunity to shadow someone in your desired role or company can give you a firsthand look at the daily tasks, work environment, and company culture. This helps you determine if it aligns with your expectations. To ask for a job shadowing opportunity keep a professional and respectful approach. Do some research and choose your target company or professional to shadow. During the process, you will feel the industry, work, and the specific role you want to shadow. It is a brief experience so you will not need many days to do it. Reach out to your personal or professional connections through LinkedIn, directly or by email and ask for an opportunity!

Time and time again, research and surveys show one simple truth: people don't leave companies, they leave managers. Your ideal work environment is unique to you, and your best chance at getting a 'feel' for what your day-to-day work environment will be, is to get a 'feel' for the person with the most influence on that environment - and that's your direct manager. Meet your manager before you agree to take a job. Unless your manager is the person who wrote the 'company values' section on the website, don't assume that they will uphold those values automatically. Ask respectful but probing questions; behavioural interview questions can be asked by candidates too!