How to Find the Best Workplace Culture Fit for You

As America continues to adjust to the impact of the pandemic, more and more employees are searching for jobs that will best fit their work culture needs. 

Thankfully, more and more employers understand the need to offer a flexible workplace culture considerate of today’s work-life balance. Deloitte surveyed nearly 9,000 professionals and found that building an organizational culture that celebrates growth, adaptability, and resilience ranks as the top priority for today’s workplace culture.  

With so many companies reexamining their culture, it’s hard to filter out which is the best option for you. Here’s why workplace culture is so important and where you should start looking when determining the best fit:

What is work culture?

We keep hearing about how employers are expanding better workplace culture practices, but what exactly is it? Culture can have both physical and environmental traits. The physical side involves the way the company looks, such as dress codes. While the environmental — some would say these are the most important traits — include work-life balance, co-worker relationships, strong communications, work-related stress, management styles, and values. 

All of these factors play important roles in workplace culture and, in order to find the best employees and keep them, employers are placing a higher value on them. With company culture finding its place in job descriptions and company websites, it’s easier than ever to look beyond compensation or basic day-to-day responsibilities and see how fulfilling a role within an organization will be for you.

Look for clues in job listings and employee reviews that depict not just what it is you would do on the job, but what it will be like to be a part of the team. If a company is not open to sharing their culture with you before applying, consider what they might be hiding.

Why employers are changing the game

Employers are changing workplaces all over the world. Why? They have a better understanding of the effects of work culture on employees. Because of COVID-19 and the increased need for employees to work remotely, employers are focusing on adding flexibility and a focus on mental well-being to their culture. 

Overall, changes to the workplace culture help get employees engaged, keep retention rates high, increase employee satisfaction, and improve leadership.  

Furthermore, in October 2015, the Social Market Foundation found that work environments designed to make workers happier generate about 12% higher productivity than a control group. These findings have since inspired employers to take a deeper look at the overall happiness and success of employees and establish a genuinely positive work culture to tie productivity to real employee engagement and retention. 

Whether you’ve been actively looking for a job or passively observing new opportunities that appeal to your vision and values, when you see a company begin to grow its employer brand by showcasing its exciting culture and opportunities, it may be time to get on board. 

How to find the best fit

Hating the alarm clock because it has woken you up for a job that you don’t even want to go to is a horrible feeling. When you’re part of a workplace culture that fits your personality and goals, you’ll find yourself motivated and enthusiastic about work. The biggest key to these end results is simple: happiness. Happiness directly ties into being more productive at work, having a better work-life balance, and growing with a company. 

So, how do you find the best workplace culture fit for you? The best place to start is not with a company, but with yourself. What do you think are the most important aspects of a company? Their mission, teamwork, management techniques, or flexibility? Establish what is most important to you before you start looking for companies to apply to.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, be prepared to ask specific questions about these workplace goals. What kind of team bonding events are planned? Does the company encourage personalizing work areas to enhance productivity? Are there any special charities they work with? What are the specific rules when it comes to flexibility and work-life balance? 

Finding the company that best fits your needs, personality, and goals will help you grow both professionally and personally. 

What do you love about your workplace culture? Let us know in the comments!