Will You Love Your Job?

Posted By: Robyn Greenspan
Filed Under: robyn greenspan, culture, retention, engagement, onboarding, due diligence, management style

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A young family member, three weeks into his first job after graduating college, came home exasperated that he wasn't fitting into his new position. His boss hadn't established a formal training program; the culture wasn't conducive to his learning style; and his colleagues were products of this disorganized environment and, therefore, not helpful.

His lack of career experience led him to a common mistake that even well-seasoned professionals often make: accepting a job without also interviewing the company. His eagerness to work took precedence, and he neglected to conduct research that would enable him to assess leadership, management style, culture and the workplace.

Now understanding the implications, we role-played an "interviewing the interviewer" situation. When he asked me about this mock company's management style, I replied, "It's fast-paced and we often don't have time for formal training, but we all help each other so we can get the job done." He hung his head and said that was exactly how his new boss would have portrayed the job, leaving out there was no time at all to teach him anything and, consequently, everyone would be impatient and short-tempered when he made mistakes.

So how can candidates really find out about a company before accepting an offer they might regret? Here are some tips I gave him that can help anyone — entry-level or executive — assess whether a company's environment is one where you'll flourish or fail:

Give it a Google: There's no hiding online. Do searches for the company and even the names of senior management and those interviewing you. Something might turn up from current or former employees. Even customer reviews will give you an indication of how the company treats people.
Turn to your network: I can practically guarantee someone you know has to know someone somewhere who can refer you to someone who worked there. A 10-minute conversation should tell you all you need.
Ask the interviewer questions anyway: Have them describe the culture; leadership style; the attributes that make someone successful; what makes them stay; anything that will give you insight into the organization.
Take a tour: Are employees happy? Do they look stressed? If your interview is during off-peak hours, are there many employees deep into work? Are offices and cubicles adorned with personal items, or do they look sterile?
Trust your instinct: All the data in the world can't tell you what your gut already knows.

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Robyn Greenspan's avatar Robyn Greenspan
Robyn Greenspan is the Editor-in-Chief at ExecuNet, where she is responsible for setting and driving the editorial content engagement strategy across the private business network's publications and expert-led programming. She is also a Huffington Post blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @RobynGreenspan