The Importance of Knowing the Corporate Culture

An important thing to remember for the job seeker is the idea of the “corporate culture” of the companies you are applying for. At one point in my career I had made it into an interview for a large, nationally well-known and reputable organization. I had showed up before my interview time, went through the security badge process, and took a seat in the lobby waiting for the Human Resource person. I’m an observant person so I was looking around trying to get a “feel” for the place….noticing things such as what sorts of people work there, their general demeanor, cleanliness of the building, the “presentation” in the lobby, and other things.
I was disappointed to infer a few surprises that I did not expect. For one, the Human Resource person made me wait for 20 minutes before she came out to greet me. Second and most surprisingly, most of the employees who were coming in to work that morning were wearing casual attire…and I mean VERY casual attire. This particular organization is in the finance industry and given the reputation of the organization on the national stage, I had expected to see people dressed in business attire and suites, like even I was for the interview. I was disappointed to see people wearing old, beat-up jeans and hoodies. It looked like the employees were going to the grocery store on a Saturday morning, not working at a professional, publicly traded organization.
Job seekers need to be aware of this often-neglected aspect of the job search process. For many of us, we overlook this because “we just need a job”. But study after study shows that people who do not “fit” with the organization’s culture do not stick around for very long. And then you’re back to square one and looking for work again. It would behoove the job seeker to take seriously this aspect of the corporate culture, and if that company’s culture does not reflect your ideal situation then perhaps that company is not the right fit for you.
At the Accounting and Business School of the Rockies, we take seriously the idea of training people to their “best” in the work environment. Classes bring in not only the facts and figures of that particular subject, but also the “soft skills” necessary for an employee to be competitive and attractive to a future employer. We understand that and we want to help you make the most of your chances to land that job whose corporate culture matches your own. Call us today at 303-755-6885 to learn about our exciting Certificate programs and how you can benefit in your career by obtaining one, or even some individual classes. We look forward to seeing you soon!