Company Culture in a Job Search: It boils down to Values

When working with my coaching clients, we will spend a good deal of time becoming very clear about what they are looking for in their next job. Most often, company culture will rank at the top of the hierarchy of ‘desirables’, or at least very high on their list. So what makes a great company culture, what should one be looking for, and what are the red flags to be mindful of?

Define Terms. In my view, a company’s culture is defined by its chosen values - the standards that it sets for itself. These will determine the kind of people it will hire and the way employees interact with each other, clients and suppliers. These values will also be shown through the language used, the style of dress and behaviour. All of this will, to an extent, mirror and match the industry and sector within which it operates. I would go further and say that the values of the firm should naturally follow from the mission and ethos of the firm; all of these elements go on to make up the DNA of the enterprise.

Examples of Values. The leadership team, in collaboration with the employees, will have thought through the values that the firm holds dear. These will be featured on the website and internal communications. I have even seen them ‘carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock’ and displayed in the reception area of company headquarters. Common examples are? accountability, client focus, integrity, innovation, and so on.

The Level that underpins the Values. We can delve deeper by seeking to understand the rules for each value. “What needs to happen for that value to be met?” is a great question to ask yourself. In his book, ‘The Culture Code’, Daniel Coyle gives a great example from the US Navy Seals. Accountability and taking ownership are two important, intertwined values. Therefore, one rule for the value ‘Accountability’ is openly taking ownership of your actions, both good and bad. In an ‘After Action Review’, all team members will meet and say what they did well and,? equally, where they performed poorly or below expectation. This exchange is open and honest. Leaders go first. The feedback is clear, specific, actionable and, at times, bracing. This behaviour is a rule that is designed to absolutely ensure that the value of ‘Accountability’ is real and not just lip service. This leads us on to the next point.

Making it real. The challenge for leaders throughout the organisation is to make the values be a real and living part of the organisation and not just something that someone just decided some time ago. We are looking for congruency. I am sure that we can remember some organisations that were knowingly selling toxic financial instruments to unsuspecting and trusting clients in the run up to the Global Financial Crisis - hardly congruent with ‘Client Focus’. So a great question that you can ask during the interview process would be about what mechanisms the firm has in place to ensure that the values are real and adhered to. An ultimate goal for this would be to not just rely on the firm’s leadership but to also have the team members hold themselves accountable for ensuring that values and rules determine how people act. This is great at so many levels, not least because it means that the leader does not have to be the only ‘Sheriff’ in town. I know of a ski company where this has been achieved and it is no surprise that the customer reviews are outstanding!

What could possibly go wrong? Once the values and rules for each value have been determined, it then requires strong and consistent effort from leaders at all levels to keep them front of mind. However, things can go wrong in any number of ways. For example, I remember one department of a large Financial Services firm which recruited a new head. He removed the existing leadership team around him and hired in allies, friends and former colleagues from other firms. The existing values were gone and replaced by what was held dear to the new head. However, these were not defined or explained, and the employees were left looking for clues about the new values and rules by trying to guess at which behaviours were rewarded and which were penalised. Morale sunk, the DNA of a once great outfit evaporated, staff turnover increased to the point where there were very few ‘originals left’. Obviously, this is quite an extreme example. However, the threat to the culture may be at a team level where there are just one or two ‘toxic’ individuals who are allowed to get away with behaviours contrary to the everything that the firm stands for. It may not seem much but it is certainly enough to make life a misery for those around them.

The Ideal. When conducting a job search, you most probably want to find a firm or department with a great culture, so here is what to look for:

• First, a firm that has really thought through the values that it wants to have and has defined the rules - actual behaviours - that make those values a reality.?
• Second, we want a company where everyone knows what those values and rules are, and are mindful of them as they do their job and interact with their colleagues, clients and suppliers alike.?
• Third, it would be great to understand what your own values and rules are in the context of your role and workplace. The ideal situation is for the stated values to be in complete alignment with the actual behaviours of the people working there and all of those are in alignment with your own values and rules. That makes for a great culture match where everyone is aligned, pointing in the same direction with great leadership and a sense togetherness and that ‘we are on a mission’. This is not easy to achieve but certainly worth striving for and there are plenty or firms that are really well-led, where everyone is on board and they have achieved this gold standard.

Job Interviews with Values in mind. Most firms will incorporate a culture piece in their interviewing process. They will seek to understand your values by looking at what you have done in your career so far. They may well ask you scenario questions to understand how you would handle various situations. They’ll use their questioning to try to elicit your own values, and to see if there is a match. It would be wise to have thought this through, come up with some examples for where, for example, your integrity was challenged and how you would tackle some common workplace issues with values in mind. You should also look to find examples that highlight that your values are in line with those of the specific firm you are interviewing them. Remember, every interview is about finding two matches: that the firm matches what you are looking for, and equally, that you and your values match what the hiring firm is looking for.?

If you’re in the midst of a job search or preparing for an interview, get in touch for a free coaching call. In a short 15-minute call, we’ll begin to think through the values that are important to you and how to factor these into an effective job search campaign.?Click here to find out more.