You’ve spent months applying to jobs, and finally, you have an offer (or two). You’re ecstatic—as you should be!—but you can’t shake the recurring nightmare that, like too many of your friends, you’ll pick the job that sounds great but actually consists of answering emails until 2 AM every night. The good news is there are ways to decipher what working for a new organization will really be like. We know, because each and every day, we help companies build great workplaces. Leveraging decades of academic studies and original research, our new book, Primed to Perform, reveals what drives great workplace culture. There are three motives that enhance long-term performance (play, purpose, and potential) and three motives that diminish it (emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia). A company with a strong culture is one that maximizes the first three and minimizes the second three. Naturally, you want to ask questions that gauge these factors at your prospective job. Here’s how to do it in a natural way that fits seamlessly into the rest of the interview process. The GoodPlayNot to be confused with ping-pong tournaments, play is when you work because you enjoy the work itself. Research shows that play is the strongest motivator and dramatically improves performance. A screenwriter who enjoys choosing between words and arranging them into visual sentences will outperform the peer who writes because he wants to be famous. To ask about opportunities for play without sounding like a kindergartener, try one of these questions:
These questions will help you gauge whether you’ll be given freedom to innovate and play—or feel trapped in a micro-managing environment. Aspiring screenwriters (and employees of all kinds) work best when given the opportunity to learn and experiment on the job. PurposeMost people crave purpose at work. No one wants to feel like they’re wasting eight (or more) hours each day doing something that doesn’t matter. However, it’s important to check that the company’s sense of purpose aligns with yours. Ask these questions:
It’s too painful to complete an analysis or PowerPoint presentation and send it into the air, never knowing if it made a difference. You want to know that your work will be seen and used. PotentialA role with potential includes future opportunities for growth. To learn where a position might take you, ask:
It’s natural, but shortsighted, to think only about the position you’re applying for. A year or two from now, you’ll wish you’d inquired about advancement. Check Out Amazing Companies Hiring NowThe BadEmotional PressureEmotional pressure is when you do things because of emotions like guilt, disappointment, or fear. Be wary of taking a job just to keep up with others or because you feel like someone in your life expects you to. Misplaced motives can lead to diminished creativity and engagement, as well as cutthroat behavior in the workplace (and no one wants to be that co-worker). To test if a company relies too heavily on prestige, guilt, shame, and the like to motivate people, try asking:
You want to know that your prospective employer cares about supporting its employees and creating a positive work environment. Economic PressureEconomic pressure is when you do something to gain a reward or avoid punishment. In the workplace, it’s often caused by high-stakes bonuses or the fear of being fired. To understand if your future employer has a quid-pro-quo culture, ask:
Bonuses, rewards, and trophies aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but they can hurt performance when people start working for the trophy instead of for what’s right. Make sure policies around rewards are clear, fair and simple—rather than distracting, time-consuming systems that turn work into a pressure-cooker. InertiaInertia—when people work a job simply because they did it the day before—is not to be confused with longevity or retention at a company. People aren’t staying because they’re happy: They’re sticking around because they feel stuck. Unfortunately, inertia can be an extremely strong force keeping people at their jobs. Gauge what qualities of the job might compel employees to stay for many years with these questions:
Photo of happy co-workers courtesy of Shutterstock. |
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