How to Find Out About the Company Culture in a Job Interview

Company culture refers to the beliefs, values, and behaviours that a company follows. These are usually determined by the top management when the company is formed and can change over the years. The culture followed within a company impacts how you are expected to behave with co-workers and your career development and growth.

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Why company culture is important

Understanding company culture is becoming an increasingly common part of the hiring process. You need to understand the culture of the company you’re considering working for as it determines how much you will enjoy working there. It not only helps determine whether you will be a good fit for the company but also determines if the company is a good fit for you. Good company culture is also known to increase employees’ productivity along with their job satisfaction and reduce employee turnover.

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What you should look for

While determining if the company’s culture is a good fit for you, keep in mind what you enjoy. If you’re someone who prefers working in silence, you won’t enjoy working in a company that believes in inter-team collaborations. Conversely, if you prefer collaborating actively, you wouldn’t enjoy working in an isolated environment. Working in an environment that doesn’t match your nature will only lead to dissatisfaction, and you will be hunting for a new job all too soon.

Also, consider the management style you work best with. Not everyone wants to be micromanaged, but not everyone wants to be left to their own devices, either. Are you someone who likes constant hand-holding and mentoring? Or do you prefer receiving task assignments and then being left alone to work on them the way you want?

Consider if you want to work with a company that values continuous learning and development to boost your growth within the organization. A company that doesn’t pay much attention to employees’ growth may not be the best to work with. You can refer to the following list of questions that you can ask in an interview to determine if the company culture is a good match for you.

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Questions you can ask in an interview

The most direct way to understand a company’s culture is obviously to ask the employer ‘what is the company culture like?’. However, it may not be the most practical question as the hiring manager might try to answer that with what they think you want to hear. So, here are some other questions you can ask that will tell you indirectly if the company culture is the right fit for you.

• Can you tell me about the work environment?
• How are the company values incorporated into the day-to-day work?
• What would be the busiest times of the year?
• How often does the team meet?
• What social events does the team enjoy?
• How is success measured and celebrated?
• What are your thoughts about work/life balance?
• What learning and growth opportunities do you offer?
• How do we deal with conflicts? Who is the decision-maker when the stakes are high?
• How long have you been here? What do you love about working here?

Asking some of these questions will tell you if the job entails a relaxed environment or if it’s a constant pressure cooker. It can also tell you what kind of social environment and support from colleagues you can or cannot expect.