Stout Takeaways on defining company culture, how it can impact the workplace and how to find your best fit for success

So What Exactly is “Company Culture”?

Alison Doyle at The Balance has a great overview of understanding corporate culture and how important it can be to your success. Company culture defines the environment in which employees work, including elements like: work environment, company mission, value, ethics, expectations, and goals. Company culture also includes the work/management style of a company, whether a team-based culture with employee participation on all levels or a more traditional and formal tiered management style.

Why Does Company Culture Matter?

Company culture is important to your success because you are more likely both to enjoy work and be more productive when your needs and values are consistent with those in your workplace. For companies, building a strongly defined office culture and recruiting employees who are a good fit improves productivity and retention.

Three Quick Steps to Finding Your Company Culture Fit

Jobs aren’t just a paycheck, and, given the amount of time spent working, it’s important for both you and a company to make sure there’s a good fit on both sides.

• Define Yourself Take an honest assessment of your strengths and preferences. For example, do you work best independently or in a shared office team environment? Do you excel at traditional management style with clearly defined responsibilities or shine when taking on differing roles and task as a project requires/evolves? Knowing how you work best is key to
• Hit The Web And Research Check out the company website, their “About Us” page and look for testimonials from employees, which can be a useful way to hear about the culture firsthand. Then check some outside sites like Glassdoor, Business Insider and Entrepreneur who publish listings and annual roundups on company culture.
• Find An Inside Connection Check LinkedIn to see if you have connections at the company you can talk to. College alumni, check with your career services or alumni office. If you get an interview, ask about particular elements of the company that are important to you, such as the amount of independent work vs. teamwork, or the day-to-day schedule of an employee.