Beyond Pool Tables & Beer Pong: What Does Company Culture Really Mean?

What is company culture to you? What is it that you really care about?

Take a moment to ponder these questions. It’s easy to jump to answers like company incentive trips to Ibiza or Bali. It’s even easier to think back to the great time you had with friends at your last social.

These types of incentives are great – they’re always fun while they’re happening and will leave you on a high for a few weeks. But, what does your day-to-day look like?

When was the last time you went home, completely exhausted, dejected and distraught because the problems you’re seeing at work seem impossible to change or improve?

Company culture is about more than just the glitz and glam of away days or nights out. It’s something altogether more difficult to define and measure.

The vibe in the office

Pool tables and ping-pong are fun on your lunch break, but are they a thinly veiled attempt to sell a company vision that’s not quite obtainable?

We’ve all grown tired of the agencies that depict their office as a set from the Wolf of Wall Street. We’ve passed the time when we thought this was a good idea. If you’ve ever worked for an agency that considers this to be a genuine aspiration, you’ll know just how toxic it can get.

The vibe in the office is always a good tell whether a company has a good culture or not. We’re not talking about the mood on a Friday afternoon when beers are being handed around. We’re thinking about the cold and grey Tuesday in November, when the end of the month is approaching and targets are likely to be missed.

How does the management react to the sight of a month’s poor performance? Do they pick you up, advise and guide you? Or do they pile on the pressure, adding extra anxiety and stress to an already tough situation?

Consider how the team treat each other

When you arrive at work, look for the people who come and speak to you (especially those in management positions). When you’re top biller, everyone wants to be your friend and managers love you. But, when you’re not quite firing on all cylinders, are you treated with equal empathy and attention?

Consider how the graduate recruiters, fresh out of university, are treated by the team. Are they given the right amount of coaching, respect and training needed for them to hone their craft? This will give you a huge insight into how the company feels about its people.

Those who are just starting out in recruitment can take a while to adapt to the pace and requirements of the role. If grads are alienated, with other members of the team barely giving them the time of day, it’s a good sign that they’re not considered a worthwhile employee until they start bringing in money. This type of behaviour can be driven from the top down.

Look for a low staff turnover

Recruitment is a tough industry, some people just aren’t cut out for it, and that’s okay. Ours is a sector which will always see a relatively high staff turnover. However, if you’re seeing a revolving door policy, it’s a good sign the company has a terrible culture.

This isn’t just for new recruits either. Companies are built on people. Finding the right people can be tough, but when you find them, it takes a lot for a company to want to let them go. If you’re seeing successful recruiters stay for a year ‘so it doesn’t look bad on their CV’, only to leave immediately after their one year anniversary mark, it’s a bad sign.

Companies with a low staff turnover however, are often those where recruiters are given the space, time and support needed to flourish. They’re often companies which are closely knit, with team members building strong and long-lasting friendships. They’re often places where you enjoy going into work – not because of the promise of free pizza, but instead for the environment itself.

Why do companies have a bad culture?

Unless you work for a global corporation, most companies are built in the image of their founders. This can be as much unconscious as it is conscious. The very principles, beliefs and attitudes to work that the owner(s) hold, are core to the company’s operation.

It takes a lot for a company to be anything but the embodiment of its founders, and this likely only happens when it grows beyond a certain threshold.

So, when you’re looking to find out whether a company’s culture is a good fit, do some research on the owner. You’ll likely find a lot of content online about them. Ask yourself how this person would likely react under pressure or whether they would be the type of person to directly care for your wellbeing.

This isn’t always the case and sometimes it can be hard to tell, but if you see red flags in the founder, it’s a good sign that the company isn’t for you.

Also, it’s important to note that not everything about company culture can be derived from the founder. We’ve all worked in environments when a team member corrupts all that’s around them. Unfortunately, this is far harder to look for when applying for a new job.

Signs of a great company culture

When talking about company culture, it can be easy to get lost in a sea of red flags and often left wondering what good signs there are to look for.

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