Tag Archives: company culture

By Meghan M. Biro

Do you want more money?

What are you worth to an employer? Quick, come up with a number.  OK. Now, let’s come up with a realistic number.

Negotiating salary is, for most of us, as difficult as getting past phone screens and interviews to the job offer. It can be tough to think of yourself in dollar terms. If you’re not prepared to negotiate, you’re sure to be unhappy with almost any offer. So don’t be caught flat-footed. Especially today – when companies may not have much flexibility with money – getting to the offer, and making sure it’s fair to all, is a necessary skill.

I’ve written here at GlassDoor about questions to ask during an interview to help you understand a company’s culture,  and ways to figure the real and soft costs of commuting. Those topics also figure into a salary negotiation.

Salary,  for example, is one measure of a company’s culture. Employees should be compensated fairly, compensation should be on par with similar companies in the region and the company should have a documented performance review process. If it’s a start-up, compensation may be difficult to benchmark, but for more established companies – say, those in business for more than ten years – it’s a simple matter to check Glassdoor.com, Salary.com, The Ladders and similar sites to get an idea of pay scales.

Commuting is also a salary issue. If you are looking at a long commute, for example, there are many associated costs – read the post and check out the calculator.

In salary negotiations, research, preparation and a realistic attitude will be your best friends.  Here are a few things to think about.

• Ask, or find out, what the salary range is. This goes if you’re applying for an advertised job or interviewing for an in-house promotion. Most companies post a salary range with job descriptions. If the salary isn’t posted, do research until you find a baseline range that matches your level of experience. This should be obvious, but it may not be: if the pay range is too low, pass. In this economy, talking to a prospective (or current) employer to up the salary scale is next to impossible – and it’s not the place to start negotiating.
• Ask yourself what you need – what I call the magic number. Know what you need to live, what you need to save, and how much risk you can tolerate. This is especially important when you’re negotiating with a start-up, most of which defer a fair amount of compensation by offering stock options and other non-cash compensation. If you’re not sure, go to salarycalculator.org, plug in the lowest number on the advertised pay range and work back.
• Ask about non-salary compensation. Health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, workmen’s compensation, flexible spending accounts, on-site daycare, IRA matches (remember those?), bonuses (and those), paid training/education, vacation time and employee stock options. Most companies will offer some or all, and depending on where you are in your life, some will be worth more than others.
• Know what the market will bear. You may think you’re worth $100K but if you’ve been out of school five years, are changing careers or geographies, haven’t managed other employees or perhaps don’t have many recommendations, you won’t be in a good place to negotiate. Keep in mind the average national wage as of the 2010 index is a sobering $41,673.83.
• Know when to ask. Few of us want to talk about money, especially in an emotionally-charged setting. So stay on the front foot: ask what the salary is when you ask for the job. Ask before the interviewer makes an offer. Start the negotiation and you’ll feel more in control and better able to handle the conversation.

We haven’t talked nuts-and-bolts here. There are other pointers – rehearse with a friend or partner, do the research, don’t be defensive or aggressive if you don’t like the offer, don’t accept the offer on the spot and ask for a formal offer letter. Make sure the letter includes reference to non-cash compensation such as vacation, sick time and insurance. Find out when insurance coverage starts – COBRA adds up fast. Most important: be prepared to justify the salary you want. Come to the negotiation prepared with a summary of your accomplishments. Show your value to the interviewer. And remember: you’re not just a number on a paycheck. You’re worth more than that.

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Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, is a serial entrepreneur and globally recognized career expert in talent acquisition and creative personal and corporate branding. Meghan has conducted more than 300 successful career searches for clients ranging from Fortune 500s to the most innovative software start-up companies. Meghan is also a new media strategist who enjoys accelerating collaborative business and community goals. When not recruiting, blogging, and innovating, she manages a dynamic coaching practice to empower corporate leaders, mid-level managers, software technologists, and recent college graduates. Meghan is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and several entrepreneurial organizations. She serves on the Alumni Council for Greens Farms Academy, acting as a career mentor to high school and college students. Founder and co-host of “#TChat, The World of Work,” a long-running, weekly Twitter chat and radio show, Meghan’s ideas have appeared on Forbes, CBS Moneywatch and she blogs regularly at Monster, The 12 Most, Ragan’s HR Communication and several additional online destinations of note.

The Glassdoor Team is a small yet seasoned group of individuals looking to provide greater transparency into one of the most important aspects of our lives – our jobs. Contributions to the blog are designed to present a unique perspective on current events, offer commentary on the inside workings on specific jobs at a multitude of companies, and provide details on the latest happenings from within Glassdoor.

By Meghan M. Biro

Workplace culture is critical. You spend eight to 10 hours plus of every day with colleagues, probably far less with family and loved ones. In my view (and practice) workplace culture is a shared responsibility, but management must take the lead.

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A comment I hear frequently from job seekers and management alike is ‘the workplace culture just doesn’t seem right.” Inevitably, management and employees are engaging in finger pointing and not taking responsibility (or is it ownership?) for their role in making a workplace culture livable or even better – memorable.

Let‘s define workplace culture in one sentence. Workplace culture is not just the personality of the workplace and its unique employer brand, but also (at its deepest core) is about the people who work in a company, from the CEO to the employees (people hire people, right?) and how they collectively experience their colleagues and the place in which they all work.

It’s easy, as an employee, to believe that culture is the task and responsibility of management. It’s shocking for management to assign responsibility for workplace culture solely to employees, especially when the team is new or untested. And it’s typical in many organizations – startup to enterprise – to make these assumptions without ever talking to the other group. Clearly it’s a recipe for disaster.

Workplace culture is critical. You spend eight to 10 hours plus of every day with colleagues, probably far less with family and loved ones. In my view (and practice) workplace culture is a shared responsibility, but management must take the lead.

We’ve talked before about how a company’s culture attracts talent. Culture also retains talent and defines winning companies. Let’s agree that maintaining workplace culture is a shared responsibility and define the actions required of each group.

Managers and leaders:

• Define the culture of your workplace. Is it fun? Is it no-nonsense? Is it flexible or structured? Set expectations and manage to them.
• Running into problems, need a change? Get your story straight. You may not want to reveal every detail of the business and its exposure to risk in trying times, but tell the truth.
• Solicit the counsel of on-the-ground leaders. You know who they are.  Make sure to test your assumptions and messaging with this critical group before taking anything company-wide.
• Back to truth: as a certain person said, don’t try to put lipstick on a pig. If you are restructuring say why. Don’t try to pretty it up: make it clear and results-oriented. Say why it’s good for those involved. Describe what it will take to be successful.
• It’s not about you. Remember your position as a leader; you’re supposed to take the first hit for the team. Be sure to describe everything ‘workplace’ in terms that relate to employees, not you.

Employees:

• Be part of the workplace culture. Commit. Don’t snipe and whine, buy in. It’s an all-in thing to be part of a great company.
• Work through the on-the-ground leaders. If you have issues or concerns take them there first. Don’t go direct to top management. Line up the ducks. Be thoughtful and choose your time. Go for the big stuff and don’t sweat the small stuff.
• If there’s a hole in the workplace culture or the seams look like they are raveling, try to figure out the reason before you weigh in with demands. If you can get a fix on what’s happening you can contribute to success.
• Give managers a break. They are managing a lot of moving pieces, not all about culture and employees.
• Educate yourself about the market and you’ll be a better participant in workplace culture, and a more informed and constructive critic (and supporter.)

Workplace culture is a powerful tool for managers, a lodestar for employees and a source of success for companies. It can change in a heartbeat and takes constant thoughtful monitoring. It’s a competitive differentiator, and the responsibility of everyone in the organization.

By Megan M. Biro

It’s tough to add tasks when you’re in the middle of a job search, but prioritize workplace culture fit. When you’re going through the interview process, a recruiter or hiring manager has three possible contexts for evaluating you – resume, personality and ‘fit’. Each is important in landing – and keeping – a job that translates to your career. Turn the notion of culture fit to your advantage by conducting a ‘culture audit’ of every prospective employer you speak with. It’s a very empowering exercise if done correctly.

Culture is one very important way in which employees describe where they work. It underlies their understanding of the employer’s business and helps employees orient themselves in the organization. I see plenty of company leaders who don’t think that building a differentiated company culture will lead to success and eventual talent retention. Nevertheless, from the recruiter’s side of the desk, a company’s culture attracts talent, and talent is what separates winning companies from also-rans.

A ‘culture audit’ will help you assess the culture that exists in a prospective employer’s company. A culture audit not only helps companies learn what keeps employees at the company, it can help job seekers decide where to move next.

Do a ‘culture audit’ on your prospect company – much can be done here at Glassdoor – using the following questions:

• Are employees at company X compensated fairly?  Is salary on par with competitive companies?
• Are benefits comparable to those of a company’s competitors?
• Does the company have programs in place that demonstrate they value your work? This can range from awards to bonuses, and even be as basic as regular performance appraisals.
• Does the company invest in training to ensure employee success?
• Does management have an open door policy? Is there a good stream of employee communications in the company?
• Are employees challenged? Do your homework, look on LinkedIn, and make connections with people you know. Ask.
• Do your values match those of the company?  This one can be answered – in small part – by reviewing a mission statement, but talking with several tiers of employees is the very best guide. Never rely solely on a mission statement for your workplace culture audit. It’s key to foster open communication with various members of the team. Strive for several different viewpoints in the culture equation.

Not surprisingly, a culture audit asks questions you may have heard during your last exit interview. Don’t wait until you’re burned out or frustrated with your job – ask these questions first, before you invest time, energy and creativity in becoming a great employee.

Keep in mind that culture audits can reveal both the good and bad – points of friction as well as opportunities for synergy. The audit should be a net-positive experience – after all you’re learning about the company’s culture and learning about yourself in the process. Self-assessment is a very important component to finding a satisfying career path.

Culture is just one aspect of ‘fit’ with an employer. Use a culture audit on your next career prospect, and please tell us how it worked. Good luck.