So many times we walk into organizations only thinking about the salary, the title and the vacation time when really we are letting this company define our lifestyle.
If you’re looking for a new role I encourage you to think first about the lifestyle you’d like to lead and then gauge an organization based off of those needs.
The Biggest Lifestyle Factors:
Commute time
Autonomy
Flex-time preferences
Work from home opportunities
Expected response times for communications and the usual hours those transpire (some companies expect 24/7 responses forcing you to sleep with your smartphone)
So a company makes it past the Lifestyle test, now it's time to meet your neighbors. That's right I said neighbors. We’ve all looked for a place to live. What does this search usually entail? Of course finding the right house but also checking out the neighborhood.
When you interview at a new company this exercise should equally as important.
Here are some things to look for:
How do people keep their desks?
If you’re a neat freak and everyone in the office is sloppy you’re not going to mesh well.
Make sure to interview during business hours to check out the general office buzz.
If it’s lack-luster take note, there’s no motivation.
Would you hang out with these people in your free time?
I’m not suggesting everyone in this office become your best friend but if there are no commonalities you may struggle to find your place within the organization.
Ask your would-be boss about typical communication styles on his/her team and cross functionally.
This speaks volumes about the openness and willingness to collaborate and which forms are company norms (IE Sharepoint, Slack, email chains, etc)
Are you unhappy where you are now? Simply ask yourself these questions.
Do you feel appreciated?
Do you feel heard?
Do you have opportunities to grow?
Maybe it's time to move on. If so, start at the top of this page and define the lifestyle you want and then see if the companies have a nice neighborhood.