Every company has its own culture. Sometimes there is even a separate subculture in every department. It is not so easy for newcomers to find out. How do you crack the code?
Ludwigshafen / Witten (dpa / tmn) - Anyone new to a company starts with a lot of questions: How do I appear? What am i putting on How do I find my place?
The bad news: "As with an iceberg, only a small part of the corporate culture can be seen at first glance. The majority can only be seen after you have worked in a company for some time," says Prof. Stephan Weinert. He deals with international personnel management at the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences.
The good news is, however, that this tip of the iceberg can be seen very well before the first day of work and the information obtained can be used for yourself. "It is important to keep your eyes and ears open during the interview," says Doris Brenner, career coach from Rödermark near Frankfurt (Main).
Become an observer during a job interview
"In addition to language and clothing, the way the future colleagues interact with each other is also interesting. Do they play the balls or are they more reserved? How do bosses and secretaries deal with each other?" So you can find out a lot about the hierarchies and team spirit in the company - and thus also about the question of whether the company suits you at all.
"A job interview is always bilateral," says Weinert. "As an employee, you should ask questions and test whether the company fits your ideas and values. Otherwise, disappointments may arise later."
Trial days before starting in the new company
If the first impression is correct, employees can use the time between the conclusion of the contract and the first working day to familiarize themselves with the corporate culture. Brenner advises: "For example, you can ask whether you have already been activated for the intranet. In some positions there are also trial days. For example, you can already take part in meetings and get to know your colleagues."
If the first day of work is coming up, it is advisable to act cautiously first: "Of course, one should not be passive, but curious. However, it is not advisable to plunge straight into the fray, to take a position and possibly make enemies directly ", she says.
Restrain initially with your own ideas
Prof. Guido Möllering, director and chair holder at the Reinhard Mohn Institute for Management at the private university of Witten / Herdecke, also advises this. "If you act openly and socially, the new team is also more open if you want to contribute your own ideas after a while."
In the past ten years, a lot has happened in the working world in this regard. "Today companies rely on diverse teams with many different opinions and perspectives," he explains. This would give them many different solutions instead of just one if problems arise. Often employees who develop an existing approach are also valuable.
Founder personalities strongly influence culture
Anyway, personalities and corporate cultures would strongly influence each other. "Founder personalities in particular play a major role," says Weinert. Their values would continue to exist long after they left the company. Conversely, this means that such established corporate cultures are relatively inflexible. "If you want to bring in other values, you need the workforce on your side. To do this, changes must not only be discussed together and communicated transparently, but must also be exemplified by the management level."
In reality, declared and lived values can often be far apart. "For example, if a boss declares flat hierarchies, but insists on his parking space directly at the entrance, that can be problematic," says Möllering.
Honesty is required when it comes to values
Working relationships would rarely fail due to content discrepancies, explains Brenner. Knowledge and skills are often to be clarified well in advance or subsequently made up for in training. "What is more common is that applicants or companies are not honest when it comes to their own values." Frequent staff changes could be an indication of this.
So if you as an applicant honestly define your values right from the start and critically check whether they are being fulfilled by a potential employer, you can minimize the risk of quickly being disappointed after the first few days in the job.
