Job Seeker Manual

A Step-by-Step Guide for Using Culture Fit to Find the Right Workplace for You

Workplace Culture Institute, 2016

15 min read

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Before you apply for a job, know yourself and learn the values and purpose of your prospective employer.

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The company you want to work for is profitable. It dominates its competitors. Customers love its products. There’s just one problem: The organization’s culture is a disaster. Its employees hate their jobs, and that’s how you’ll feel if you go to work there. If you don’t learn about the firm’s culture before accepting a position, you could be in for a nasty surprise. Organizational culture consultant Sheila L. Margolis, head of the Workplace Culture Institute, teaches you how to decipher the culture of a firm before you become its newest employee. Her succinct guide includes handy worksheets and “maps” to help you codify your purpose and principles, diagnose a prospective company’s culture and determine if you can flourish there. getAbstract recommends Margolis’ step-by-step, easy to follow workbook to all job applicants and to HR managers seeking to understand their company’s culture in greater depth.

Summary

“Cultural Fit”

Companies hire according to two criteria. First, they evaluate if a job applicant is competent to do the job; does he or she have the requisite skills, knowledge and experience? And second, they want to know if the applicant’s values and style match the company’s ways of doing things. Will the applicant fit the company’s culture?

Both criteria are equally important. Corporate hiring officers want to ensure that an applicant will find the position’s responsibilities meaningful. They want to feel confident that any new hire’s on-the-job behavior will align with the firm’s expectations of its employees. How well you fit a company’s culture often means the difference between being hired or not – and being happy in your job or not. New hires who fit in get off to a faster start, do better work and remain longer with their companies than people who turn out to be culturally misaligned.

Cultural fit affects more than simply getting hired. It also shapes whether you’ll flourish in your new job and feel good about it. You’ll be unhappy if you go to work for a company whose values differ from your own. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate the company’s values...

About the Author

Workplace Culture Institute president Sheila L. Margolis, PhD, helps leaders build company cultures that engage employees and retain top talent.

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l. z. 7 years ago

1. Very informative and applicable
2. Unserstand yourself is the most important thing, I think, and it's almost in every aspect of your life. Also the tricky part is it's not easy. But for job seeking, we can narrow the scope related to job only.
P. M. 7 years ago

I have been through a job where there was a personal culture clash. Id be interested in hearing how to negotiate through this if leaving isn't an option.
M. V. 7 years ago

Very useful advice

Sheila L. Margolis