Getting to know the culture at your new workplace

03.26.2015

You’ve been at your new job for a few weeks now, and the “new person” label is likely wearing off. However, you still probably feel like you don’t have a full understanding of all the in’s and out’s of your company’s culture.  By dictionary definition, culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people. So how do you get to know the people you’re working with, and find out why the culture has developed in the way it has?

Get to know your leadership

We are not suggesting that you abandon your workspace and responsibilities and camp out in front of your President or Founder’s office. Rather, assess how your leadership talks about their vision, their optimism, who they talk to about this year’s strategy, and how they court feedback.  Does your leadership spend the last half of each Friday walking around the company and having one-on-one conversations to keep their finger on the pulse of their employees? Will you see your President sitting in the break room with employees once a week? Do you have a company-wide monthly meeting to discuss the vision and financial status of the company? How your leadership communicates what they value will tell you a lot about how to embrace feedback you receive, and how to give your opinion in a way that will be valued. If you’re in a large organization with many levels between your role and the executive suite, you’ll likely fall into the company-wide communication category, and want to focus on working through your manager.

If you’re part of a smaller organization, you’ll likely be able to interact with your leadership directly, and they might have even given the nod to hire you. However, based on your observations, try to build a strategy for how to approach a one-on-one conversation. Your first few interactions will likely set the tone for what your President/Founder will expect from talking with you.

No matter which type of leadership culture is most pervasive at your organization, each can have a thriving culture where employees feel appreciated, valued, and will experience professional growth and happiness.

Listen to work stories

Do your co-workers talk about the bankruptcy that almost happened, or do they talk about the early 2000’s like they were the glory days? Do they complain about work, or are they inspired by the work they’re doing? How your co-workers discuss their daily activities or past work has a huge impact on culture.  If your organization was an entrepreneurial start-up, employees who have been there since the beginning have a lot of stories to tell. They know what the “original vision” of the company was, and if the founders have grown their vision along with the commitment to their employees, your “founder’s culture” is likely inspiring.

If you have managers and leadership that is talking about the achievements of their employees, and their employees are being rewarded, the culture likely reflects this.  You’ll be able to figure out how to join in this conversation just by listening to what kind of experience your leadership values, and applying these ideas to your daily work life.

Observe how people have shaped the culture

The people you work with shape the culture of the organization. You may have a culture that hires and cultivates great managers in every department. Or, you may have an organization that has one or two great managers that everyone wants to work with. Either way, you’ll quickly discern which type of management your organization has in place. If you have great managers throughout the organization, you’ll be able to look at your career path and work toward your next opportunity in an area that you find really interesting, or have always wanted to pursue. If you’re working for one of the great managers in your culture, observe what makes them different and find out what qualities they value. If your company values their work, aligning your work with their goals should get you noticed too.

Find out what motivates your co-workers

Another insight into figuring out your organization’s culture is determining what motivates your co-workers. Is there a commitment to working hard and producing good work because everyone believes in the company’s mission? Are there vacation days earned individually or as a group when the company or department hits a goal? Is it money or a big bonus that makes your organization work? There are benefits to all of these rewards; they are simply a reflection of the organization’s values.

The person within your organization likely hired you because they thought you would fit in the company culture.  We are hoping that after you look at your company with these four cultural indicators in mind, you find it’s the right fit.