5 Bits of Company Culture to Learn From Potential Coworkers

When you interview for a potential new role, it’s important to ask your interviewer about company culture to gauge whether you’ll be a good fit for the environment. However, the hiring committee shouldn’t be the only people you talk to about what to expect in the workplace. 

If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to reach out to someone in the company whose role is on the same hierarchical level as your potential role to ask what they think of the culture.

Why is this? When you’re interviewing, the hiring manager may naturally present the company in its best light. It’s always helpful to get the perspective of someone closer to your position who experiences the company culture daily. 

Here are five things potential new hires can discuss with an employee that may influence their decision about taking the job.

Management Styles

Management styles definitely have the power to dictate workplace culture and how employees feel when they come to work. If managers have a tendency to micromanage, it can create tension and a lack of trust. If most managers are hands-off, employees may not feel like they have the support they need to succeed.

Try to ask an employee on the team your potential manager’s style to help you decide if it would be a good fit for you.

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is defined as the ability to be your authentic self without fear of judgment or retribution. Hiring managers often work hard to create psychologically safe environments because employees thrive when they feel they can freely share their thoughts and feelings.

It’s important to talk to potential coworkers to ask them whether this is the case in their workplace. If you value authenticity, you’ll want to know about this aspect of the company’s culture.

Inclusion and Belonging

Developing positive relationships with coworkers is especially important for new hires. However, that can’t happen without a culture of inclusion and belonging in the workplace. 

Your potential coworkers will be able to recount their experiences working for the company and share whether they’ve ever felt excluded or like they didn’t belong. If so, was anything done to eliminate the issues causing these feelings? These are excellent questions to ask both the hiring manager and your coworkers.

Fair Policy Enforcement

Managers want to believe that they enforce policies equitably, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, groups or individuals feel that others are given more grace when it comes to issues like arriving late to work, taking time off, or even using cell phones at work. 

Make sure to ask your potential coworkers whether fair policy enforcement is part of the company culture.

Career Development

Ask potential coworkers if they have availed themselves of any career development resources provided by HR. If so, what has been the quality level of those resources? Have any of them resulted in a promotion or the ability to pivot to a different career track? 

If you value professional development and training, you’ll want to have proof that what your potential company offers is compelling.

The Employee Perspective on Company Culture Matters

It’s important for new hires to prioritize learning about the culture of their potential new workplace. It plays such an integral role in everything from your level of happiness to your productivity, creativity, well-being, and long-term retention. 

With so much on the line, it’s a good idea to know what to expect so you can make the most informed decision possible about whether the new role you’ve been offered is the right one for you.