Whether you’re looking for a job, starting a new one, or reevaluating your current position, it’s always important to prioritize workplace culture and values in your decision. Culture might sound like an overused word and it might even seem like the importance of culture is an overstatement when weighing it against salary.
But the truth is, salary can change; culture won’t. We all have our own personal and professional values. While you can’t change someone else’s values, you can ensure you set yourself up for success by finding an employer who shares your values and cultivates a strong workplace culture.
Importance of Workplace Values
So, what exactly is “culture”? More specifically, what does culture mean in the workplace and what makes a strong workplace culture and environment?
The best way to define workplace culture is determining your personal values, how those intersect with your professional values, and how those are implemented throughout your place of work. Here are a few potential questions to ask yourself:
- How does management operate? Are they honest and transparent with top-to-bottom communication? Do they treat their employees well and honor them?
- What is your team dynamic like? Is it a collaborative teamwork environment?
- How do/will you fit in with your team and company? Do they have resources and support for your advancement goals?
Your company’s culture and values set the tone for what they care about, what their mission and vision are for the company, and what their expectations for employees are. If you are not in alignment with your company’s culture, you might sacrifice your job satisfaction, potential, productivity, and even your work relationships.
How to Determine Strong Workplace Culture
Before you try to determine other company’s values, have you determined yours? For example, would you sacrifice the quality of your work to make a deadline, or would you push your deadline to ensure quality work? Questions like these help you decide what your workplace values are.
Once you know what you’re looking for, take the following steps to figure out if you’re a good fit with your company’s culture:
- If you’re interviewing at a new company that you’re not familiar with, take some time to research. Browse their website, social media, reviews, and anything else you can find.
- If you’re interviewing or new to the company, ask around—other employees are your best gauge for company culture.
- If you have access to an employee handbook, look for listed company values and expectations for both employees and supervisors.
Keep an eye and ear out for how people work together and what the organization has done as a whole, including their reputation. Remember, your place of work should be enjoyable! After all, you’re there every day, so make sure you choose a company that is a good fit with your values, direction, and goals.
Find a Strong Culture & Career at Premier Building Supply
At Premier Building Supply, we have worked to build our culture around our core values: building trust, honest communication, sound ethics, attention to safety, and measured performance. At every customer touch point and in the daily lives of our employees, we aim for these values to be evident and practiced.
Every employee is encouraged to make decisions with these ideals in mind—do the right thing, prioritize substance over form, and look out for personal development and the best interests of those around you. These are the invaluable elements of the culture at Premier, and we hope you’ll join us. We may manufacture the best components, but we also work to develop the very best individuals.