A significant share of Americans (30%) view their jobs as a way to get by, with no real pride or satisfaction in their work — but it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, the same study found that another 49% love their jobs.
If you want to be part of this 49%, the key is to find a company that aligns with your values so that you’re invested in the work and happy to be part of their mission.
Read on to find out how to find out if you align with a company’s values.
Decide What’s Important to You
To decide if a company’s intrinsic value aligns with what you want in a workplace, you need to look inside yourself and decide what your own values are. Knowing these will help you make a lot of decisions in life. If you need help understanding what motivates and drives you, we provide a 12 Driving forces assessment to further your understanding.
Once you’ve done that, you can go on to compare the company’s values and see if they align with yours.
Ask Questions
Whether it’s in the interview process or another time if you aren’t taking the traditional job route, you need to be unafraid to ask questions. Besides, most people like being asked questions as it shows initiative and gives the impression that you want to be truly invested in the company’s work.
Interviews last 40 minutes on average, so that’s plenty of time to make your own inquiries.
Some questions you might want to ask include what their favorite thing about working for the company is, how the company approaches challenges and risk-taking, as well as what they might change about the company if given the opportunity. You could even ask how they feel about the work-life balance there.
They may not give an honest answer, but it’s worth asking!
Research Their Online Presence
Researching them online can really show you the company’s values and what they believe in. Take a look at their website, their online reviews, and even look at what they’re posting on social media. You’ll quickly get an idea of what matters to them.
You may also be able to find interviews with higher-up employees and blog posts on their website that discuss the company’s core values in a more in-depth way.
Find Employees Who’ve Left
Another great trick is to find employees who’ve left if it’s possible to talk to them at all. This will give you an idea of if the relationship was dissolved amicably.
Look at LinkedIn
If you can’t speak directly to employees who’ve left, look at the company on LinkedIn. You should be able to find previous employees and get an idea of how long they stayed, which may be indicative of the company culture. Culture and values are directly related!
Make Sure You Align With a Company’s Values
Making sure you align with a company’s values is key to working for or with a company you’re proud of. Do your online research and ask lots of probing questions before you commit to any relationship and you can’t go wrong.