How to determine culture fit before you start your next job.

If had a dollar for every time a candidate has told me that they left a job because "it just wasn't a good fit", I probably wouldn't be writing this blog today. How you may or may not fit at your job is becoming an increasingly more important aspect of consideration among candidates and employers. Therefore, it's important to remember when you’re going through the interview process, a recruiter or hiring manager has three possible contexts for evaluating you – resume, personality and ‘fit’. Just as you are being evaluated, you must evaluate each position. With that in mind I'd like to share these suggestions to help you determine the culture fit during your interview process.

Culture is perhaps the single most important way in which employees describe the environment where they work. It shapes their understanding of the employer’s business vision and helps employees orient themselves within the organization. I hear from and see plenty of company leaders who don’t realize that establishing a unique and supportive company culture will lead to success and increased levels of top employee retention. In addition to retaining talent, a positive culture helps to attract talent and this is what separates winning organizations from others.

A culture review will help you assess the culture that exists in a prospective employer’s company. This review can also help job seekers decide where to move next.

Complete a culture review on your prospective company during your next interview by using the following questions:
• Are employees at this company compensated fairly? Is the salary on par with competitors?
• Is the benefit program comparable to those of a company’s competitors?
• Does the company have programs in place that demonstrate they value your work? This can range from awards to bonuses, or even be as basic as regular performance appraisals.
• Does the company invest in training to ensure employee success? If so, what type of training is it and how frequently does it occur. Can you tailor it to your interest?
• Ask everyone you meet in the interview process to describe the company culture in their own words. Ask why they like working there. You might be surprised at what you hear or don't hear.
• Does management have an open door policy? Is there a good stream of employee communication in the company?
• Are employees challenged and given the resources to meet those challenges? Research this by looking on LinkedIn and make connections with people you know. Ask questions.
• Do your values match those of the company? This one can be answered – in small part – by reviewing a mission statement, but talking with several tiers of employees is the very best guide if you can. It might take some extra effort, but it's worth it. Never rely solely on a mission statement to determine culture fit.

These or similar questions are often asked in an exit interview. Don’t wait until you’re burned out or frustrated with your job – ask these questions first, before you invest time, energy and creativity in becoming a great employee.

Keep in mind that culture reviews can reveal both the good and bad – potential points of friction as well as opportunities for growth. The review should be a positive experience – after all you’re learning about the company’s culture and learning about yourself in the process…determining what's most important to you in your work environment. Self-assessment is a very important component to finding a satisfying career path.

Try this review on your next potential career prospect, and please tell us how it worked.

Good luck,
David Lammert

The Well-Rounded Network

You already know it is important to have the 2 Q’s as you build your personal network: Quality and Quantity. But have you considered the importance of having a well-rounded network?

In our current world, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. There are plenty of tips and articles on where to find people – whether Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter - and how and when to connect to them. There is even advice on what you need to say to attract and maintain your network.

This week, I want to share my ideas on who should be in your network.

Here are the top 10 people that should be part of your network:

1. The Mentor:
This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to achieve. Learn from their success, as well as their missteps. Seek their counsel. Heed their wisdom and experience. Ideally, this relationship delivers you a unique perspective because they have known you through the peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.

2. The Coach:
The coach comes into play at different points in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached. They are eager to see you succeed and are someone you can always turn to. Expect some tough love from time to time.

3. The Industry Insider:
This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what’s happening now and what the next big thing is. It's a good idea to have more than one industry insider as part of your network.

4. The Trendsetter:
This is someone outside of your chosen industry that always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic you find interesting. In today's world this might be someone knowledgeable about technology or social media. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark creativity in your thinking which you can apply to any part of your life.

5. The Connector:
This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. Often, when they come across something related to you, they are sending you an email or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities most people would not take the time to do on your behalf.

6. The Dreamer:
This is the person in your network you can dream with. No matter how “out there” your latest idea is, this is the person that will help you brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without judgment, they are focused on helping you flush out your dreams in high definition, even if you don’t have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen.

7. The Realist:
On the flip side you still need the person who will help you keep it real. This is the person who will give you the raised eyebrow when your expectations seem out of line with reality. These are not people who knock down your dreams; rather, they challenge you to actively make your dream come true.

8. The Visionary:
Visionary people inspire you by their own journey, even if it isn’t similar to yours. These folks are close to the Idealist, but the visionary can help you envision an actual plan to reach your goal. One personal encounter with this type of person can powerfully change the direction of your thinking and life.

9. The Partner:
You need to have someone who is in a similar place and on a similar path to share with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a person you can share the wins and woes with. Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information.

10. The Wanna-be:
This is someone you can serve as a mentor to. They are someone you can help develop and shape based on your own experiences. One of the best ways to understand something is to be able to explain it to someone else. Sometimes one of the best motivators for pushing through obstacles and hardship is being aware that someone else is watching you.

Obviously you will strive to have more than 10 people in your network. The trick is to make sure you are building a diverse network by adding people from different industries, backgrounds, age groups, ethnic groups, etc… that fit into the roles listed above. Building a deep network by only including people from your current profession or business focus leaves too many stones unturned, limiting potential opportunities.

Get serious about building a strong professional network that can provide the leverage you need to make progress at work. Evaluate your current network and get started filling in the gaps.

Happy networking!
David Lammert