The Best Place to Work
For most of us we spend the majority of our week at work and need to enjoy it, so the culture of the company is really important, so you need to take that into account before accepting a job offer.
Some companies have masses of perks like fruit Fridays and dress down Wednesdays but others don’t and that may or may not be an issue for you. You don’t want to feel as if you must go the weekend social with your family to ensure you get on within the business; you may be happier just left alone to get on with your work
So how do you find out if moving to a new company will be the right fit before your interview, rather than after you arrive!
Do Your Research
You know about doing your research before an interview and preparing answers to interview questions but researching the company, its people and its culture before you even apply for a job is important.
Have a good look at the company’s website to see what their values are and see if their careers page has information on what they offer their employees.
Find reviews on websites such as GlassDoor.com. Be sensible and don’t believe everything you read but if there is a similar thread going on it may start ringing alarm bells.
Get Social
Social Media is a great place to see what the company is doing and read about any projects they have been working on. It can also give you names of previous employees who it could be worth contacting to get their take on what it was like to work there. You’ll also find out about current employees and whilst we don’t condone Facebook stalking, the company would have most probably had a look at your social media profiles to see what type of fit you will be so have a look at the profiles of people working in the department you could be joining and see what type of people they are.
Ask the Right Questions
At interview ask the question – ask them to tell you what working at their company will be like. Take the opportunity to ask the interviewer what they enjoy most about working there. Do ask about others benefits, flexible working, working from home etc. if you feel that’s appropriate but don’t dwell too much on these if information isn’t forthcoming. These may be benefits that come with time and the interview doesn’t feel is relevant to discuss at interview.
Picture This!
When you think, you have everything you need, try and visualise being in that company, spending every day in that type of environment. The more complete the picture is the easier it will be to decide if this is the right role for you and the one that when you get up and head off to work, you’ll love – and feel just as good when you leave for the day.
