Why Company Culture is Important

After receiving a comment about how company culture doesn’t matter, Kerry Sandberg Scott wrote a worthy article about why company culture is an important factor for your next job. She makes 3 very astute observations:

1. “The culture can make you miserable.” – Scott once interviewed for a position where the company consisted of single 20 year olds who drink, hang out and sleep together. This was clearly not a good match for her, and she would have been an uncomfortable outcast working there.
2. “The culture can make you ineffective.” – Some environments are very collaborative; others promote autonomy. If you work better by collaborating, an authoritarian boss would likely not be your best fit.
3. “The culture is probably not going to change anytime soon.” – If the culture doesn’t fit now, it is probable that it will continue to be a misfit. Companies tend to retain employees who fit in with the culture, causing the culture to exist for years to come.