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It is a given that, whatever your job, you’re going to spend a massive amount of your life and devote a large part of your energies toward that endeavor. So, with that in mind the question is, why do we allow ourselves to join organizations that make us miserable?
A Hollister poll of 1000 people, employed and unemployed, in Massachusetts last summer asked them what factors contributed the most to their job satisfaction; the number one response was Organizational Culture.
It would seem that Organizational Culture is something we’d be able to get a glimpse at during interviews, interactions with the website and with all the social networks at our disposal, by talking to the current & past employees of the organization.
Meanwhile the same survey uncovered that only 40% of the respondents were happy with their current job.
It is our fault. You can point to the organization for having a destructive culture but you chose to join that culture.
The question is why aren’t we doing our homework to uncover what it’s like to work at the organization on the front end? Why aren’t we finding out more about an organization’s culture before we enlist within their ranks? Why are we willing to jump into an organization’s challenges simply because they are offering us a paycheck?
Job seekers owe it to themselves and their future employer to find out as much as possible about the culture of an organization before signing on.
Next time you’re looking into a job, talk to the employees on Facebook, or Linkedin. Talk to current employees, past employees, and vendors of the organization. When HR asks you for a list of references it is your duty to ask them for the same.
Before you commit your life to an organization ask, “Based on what I’ve uncovered am I going to be happy working in an atmosphere like this?” If the answer is yes, go for it. If you’re unsure, keep digging.
Do your homework first, your happiness depends on it.
