Do You Fit the Company's Culture? Here's How to Find Out
by Danial
Feb 12, 2019
at 4:08 PM
You've gone through countless interviews, but during your interviews you may have forgotten about this one important little detail about the job you’re applying for. A company’s culture affects your work style, and can be the reason why some people are miserable at their jobs while others are content.
An organisational culture is basically the unwritten rules of the company. It’s how they carry out their business, how they interact with each other and how they behave in the company.
So when you’re choosing a job you would want to find a company that matches your personality and beliefs. Here are a few different types of organisational culture to help you identify which matches you the most:
Types of Organisational Culture
Activities Or Output Oriented
Output-oriented companies only care about results. If you work in this kind of organisation, you'd better be someone who really cares about achieving specific goals, even if it means you have to take a risk.
Activity-oriented organisations are more concerned about the way in which the work has to be carried out.
Job Or People Oriented
Job-oriented organisations are for people who prefer hard work and tasks over individual comfort or growth. It means you’re a workaholic and you don’t mind about being comfortable.
People-oriented organisations are all about about the welfare of the workers. So if you want a company that cares about you, make sure you choose this kind of company.
Corporate Or Professional Oriented
Professional organisation: Your identity is determined by your occupation, for example, a law firm.
Corporate organisation: Your identity is determined by your membership of the organisation, for example, Google.
Open Or Closed Oriented
Open organisations encourage free-flowing communication between all levels of the organisation, from the CEO to the intern.
It’s the opposite for closed organisations where communication is restricted.
Tight Or Loose Control Oriented
Tight companies focus on having strong internal structure, chain-of-command and discipline. So if you’re a strict person and prefers things to be run in a specific way, this is the way to go.
Loose organisations are more relaxed, it gives you more space to improvise and try new things to see what works for the company.
How to Find Out a Company's Culture
There’s no better way to know a company’s culture than a job interview. Remember a job interview is actually a way for both parties to know about each other, it’s not just you trying to find out if the company will accept you or not.
Here are some questions to help you identify what kind of organisational culture the company practices:
Interviews are a two-way street. So don’t be afraid to ask questions. After all, it is for your own good to know if you would fit in with the company you’re applying for.
