“Why do you want to work here?”
It’s a question that’s asked by most hiring managers during a job interview and usually yields answers that pertain to a passion for what the company is doing, wanting to be a part (and contribute towards) its success and company culture being a good fit.
While after-work socialising or in-office perks like free snacks can create a good atmosphere among colleagues and allude to good company culture, the concept of culture is in itself lofty in that it can be difficult to define, quantify or hold to account.
Culture also usually happens at employee level—from buying someone a birthday cake to asking how someone’s child is—and doesn’t encompass leadership or how senior management behave towards employees.
So while it’s important to overall job satisfaction and workplace relations, cordiality doesn’t cover important factors like what a company is doing to ensure working parents have a good work-life balance, a diversified workforce or mental health and wellbeing safeguards in place.
Values Inform Culture
According to a survey of French, German, UK and US workers by Glassdoor, 77% would consider a company’s culture before applying for a job there. Over half shared that culture is more important than salary, and 79% said they would consider the company’s values before applying for a role.
But are culture and value the same thing? In short, no, but the two are interlinked, and company values are what inform company culture and give a more substantial overview of what it’s really like to work within an organisation.
If company values inform workplace culture, there are certain things you should look out for when doing your research if you really want to know if a business is a good fit for you.
Fitting In
Essentially a blueprint for how a company is run, values are explicitly set out in company policies or a company mission statement, and stipulate guidelines around D&I (diversity and inclusion), ESG (environmental, social and governance) and the principles and beliefs that drive the business. Values also give a comprehensive summary of how the company is run, what its leaders do to bolster the company’s mission, its impact on the world around it and crucially, how it treats its employees.
What’s the ratio of men to women at C-suite level? Does the company operate with integrity? What is the customer experience like? How innovative is the company when it comes to embracing new technology? How transparent is the company about how it operates? While the above topics aren’t as fun as a pool table in the office or early finish Fridays, they’re what really matter. And if you’re currently looking for your next opportunity, values should inform your search.
The Silicon Canals Job Board hosts hundreds of roles from organisations with strong company values like the three below.
Senior Architect Linux (f/m/d), Siemens AG, Munich
Siemens’ core company values are based on sustainable development and it is currently hiring a Senior Architect Linux (f/m/d) to create and enhance a managed Linux client for developers. The ideal candidate will have the ability to analyse customer business requirements and translate them into an architectural design, and plan an end-to-end implementation based on an inner open-source approach. You’ll also be able to play a key role in driving digitalisation forward at Siemens. Read the full job spec here.
Engineering Manager, Booking.com, Amsterdam, London or Manchester
Innovation and making a positive impact is at the heart of Booking.com’s company values. Based in Amsterdam, London or Manchester, the Engineering Manager will primarily manage, coach and develop an engineering team and nurture and grow new talent to ensure the development of both (the individual and team as a whole) are in line with organisational objectives and direction. You’ll also be tasked with building software applications, continually improving processes and quality and drive innovation on your own team. A full relocation package will be offered to the successful applicant. Find out more here.
(Senior) Analytics Engineer (f/m/x), Enpal GmbH, Berlin
Want to join Enpal in its pursuit of building the largest renewable community in Europe? Its highly ambitious team is currently hiring a (Senior) Analytics Engineer (f/m/x) to fuel the business with insights, new opportunities and implement a tailor-made data strategy. From data pipelines to reporting, dashboarding to advanced analytics, the successful candidate will provide support on a wide range of decisions at the core of the business. For this role, you’ll need three years’ experience working as a BI developer, analytics engineer or data engineer and have a proven track record of transforming complex data into actionable insights. Apply now.
