3. Company Culture Is A Big Fat Lie

I am not saying that companies don’t have culture, merely that whenever someone tells you what the company culture is laugh at them.  Here’s the definition of culture:

” the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.” or

“the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture.”

- dictionary.com

Let’s say I am in an interview (second only to sales meetings when talking about culture) and the interview says our company culture is x, y, and most importantly z.  Should I assume they are lying?  No, but in my experience what this person is describing is (1) what someone told them the goals of the company are OR (2)how they interact with their closest coworkers.  Neither of those matter to you.  Why?  Because as each new employee is added the company culture changes, so the chances of (1) still being right depend on how long and how many employees the company has hired. (2) could be more applicable if the person interviewing you is someone you will be working with quite a bit, but often times it is a out of the loop manager or an HR person.  Neither of those will have a good understanding of the culture of work that you will experience on a day to day basis.

My Experience
Just a few insights from my work experiences.

Small Company:
The company culture was fairly dead on to what the person who interviewed me (owner) said it was, except he made crazy, upbeat, and fast paced sound like positive things.  He also said that they were all friends.  Too bad nobody ever told him the employees were convinced he didn’t understand business and would never ‘get’ them.  In a small company there will definitely be a strong culture. Most likely the dependence on each other makes trust very important and the value and well being of coworkers is important.  This creates a sort of family atmosphere.  Just be aware of the fact that most ‘normal’ families have their secrets.

Medium Company:
The medium company I worked for talked about their ‘culture’ the most of any employer I have had.  On the surface(company outings, trade shows, etc.) they did a great job playing the part, but in the board room decisions were made that often seemed contradictory to the culture.  I have to say that overall this company was the most enjoyable and had the best cultural fit with me although it wasn’t exactly what I was told in the interview.

Large Companies:
Both large companies that I have worked for really didn’t have a discernible culture.  The large companies were also the ones who pushed their ‘cool culture’ on me the most during interviews.  Instead on a day to day basis these large companies are seemed more like large robotic creatures of which I was a tiny cog.  Personalities didn’t show much. Goals and values weren’t apparent.

Summary:
In terms of culture it is hard for a large company to have a single one.  With so many different people and so many different professions and interests having a single culture that is distinguishable is difficult.  If working for a company with a good work culture is important I would make an effort to meet the people you will be working with prior to starting work.  During an interview I think it is perfectly appropriate to ask the interviewer if you can meet the team you will be working with.  You certainly won’t get the whole picture, but it might give you a better idea of what day to day work will be like. 

In general when looking at what type of company to work for I would disregard size. After having worked at all different sizes of companies in multiple industries I have noticed that size is not near as important as your close coworkers and the work that you will do.  Make an effort to understand both of these before accepting any offer.  Ask for specifics during your interview. What projects will I work on? Can I see an example of previous work?  Who will I work with?  Where can I grow without having to move positions?  Remember, even in a down economy, the interview is for you as much as it is for the hiring company.