Company Culture Is as Real as Personal Brands Are

Company Culture Is as Real as Personal Brands Are Before JibberJobber, I worked at a company (Varsity Contractors) that did over $200M in building maintenance (janitorial, taking care of big buildings, etc.). I was the first IT Manager, and did things like web development (internet and extranet), networking management, user support, buying computers, upgrading the server room, etc.  I was a jack of all trades. Before I got there, the CFO managed about five contractors who did all of the IT stuff.  Taking that over was a blast, and I learned and grew a lot.  I am forever thankful for that chapter in my career, where I learned a lot.  One thing that Ill never forget is the power of a company culture.  Varsity had a rich history, and great contracts.  But the margins were super-thin, and we all know janitors dont make a lot of money.  But I entered a world where culture was highly touted, and one of the most critical things in the organization.  And the fruits of having a strong culture would be hard to believe, had I not witnessed them myself. One thing that stands out: watching people do ANYTHING (legal, ethical, etc.) for the company.  Not to the point of giving up their family or integrity, but managers would really do anything for the interest of the company.  They would do it gladly.  It was as if they had ownership in a big machine, and they were immensely proud of this machine.  I witnessed this for years, and was in awe at how powerful the culture was. Why?  How?  That is for another post.  In this post I want to just talk about the idea of culture it is real, and it is powerful. I share this with you because of three blog posts I recently read: Company Culture Is A Myth, by Laurie Ruettimann. Ive followed Laurie for years, and love her thinking.  But I dont agree with her post.  Many of her commentors, who are in HR or recruiting, dont agree either. Read the comments, and note the big difference between culture and fit. Does your job search plan address company culture? by Martin Buckland. I also love how Martin thinks hes an executive job search coach in Canada, and puts out great stuff.  This question reminds me of someone I know who transitioned careers and chose to go into a company that paid well (for a while then they did a bait-and-switch snakes!), but had a demoralizing, soul-crushing culture.  This was a first-hand example that proved that money isnt everything, and that money cant compensate for certain horrible things.  Go after money, and disregard culture, at your own peril. Why Am I Here? By Kylie Hunt, a new Pluralsight author.  Kylie is in Australia and in this inaugural blog post, she talks about why she left the company she has been at for over 10 years. Specifically, the leadership and the culture pushed her away, to a point of being unhappy, and she had to leave. Is it any surprise that her first course in Pluralsight is titled Boost Productivity Through Employee Happiness? Note: I can give you free access to her course, and to all of mine just watch the short how-to video on this page. Bonus: watch any of my courses, and you get an additional 7 day upgrade on JibberJobber. You can poo-poo the concept of culture, but having been there, and hearing from hundreds or thousands of job seekers over the years, I know, and cannot deny, the existence and power of company culture.  That could be at the meta level, or within a small team, or anywhere inbetween. What are your experiences, positive or negative, with culture within a company? Company Culture Is as Real as Personal Brands Are Before JibberJobber, I worked at a company (Varsity Contractors) that did over $200M in building maintenance (janitorial, taking care of big buildings, etc.). I was the first IT Manager, and did things like web development (internet and extranet), networking management, user support, buying computers, upgrading the server room, etc.  I was a jack of all trades. Before I got there, the CFO managed about five contractors who did all of the IT stuff.  Taking that over was a blast, and I learned and grew a lot.  I am forever thankful for that chapter in my career, where I learned a lot.  One thing that Ill never forget is the power of a company culture.  Varsity had a rich history, and great contracts.  But the margins were super-thin, and we all know janitors dont make a lot of money.  But I entered a world where culture was highly touted, and one of the most critical things in the organization.  And the fruits of having a strong culture would be hard to believe, had I not witnessed them myself. One thing that stands out: watching people do ANYTHING (legal, ethical, etc.) for the company.  Not to the point of giving up their family or integrity, but managers would really do anything for the interest of the company.  They would do it gladly.  It was as if they had ownership in a big machine, and they were immensely proud of this machine.  I witnessed this for years, and was in awe at how powerful the culture was. Why?  How?  That is for another post.  In this post I want to just talk about the idea of culture it is real, and it is powerful. I share this with you because of three blog posts I recently read: Company Culture Is A Myth, by Laurie Ruettimann. Ive followed Laurie for years, and love her thinking.  But I dont agree with her post.  Many of her commentors, who are in HR or recruiting, dont agree either. Read the comments, and note the big difference between culture and fit. Does your job search plan address company culture? by Martin Buckland. I also love how Martin thinks hes an executive job search coach in Canada, and puts out great stuff.  This question reminds me of someone I know who transitioned careers and chose to go into a company that paid well (for a while then they did a bait-and-switch snakes!), but had a demoralizing, soul-crushing culture.  This was a first-hand example that proved that money isnt everything, and that money cant compensate for certain horrible things.  Go after money, and disregard culture, at your own peril. Why Am I Here? By Kylie Hunt, a new Pluralsight author.  Kylie is in Australia and in this inaugural blog post, she talks about why she left the company she has been at for over 10 years. Specifically, the leadership and the culture pushed her away, to a point of being unhappy, and she had to leave. Is it any surprise that her first course in Pluralsight is titled Boost Productivity Through Employee Happiness? Note: I can give you free access to her course, and to all of mine just watch the short how-to video on this page. Bonus: watch any of my courses, and you get an additional 7 day upgrade on JibberJobber. You can poo-poo the concept of culture, but having been there, and hearing from hundreds or thousands of job seekers over the years, I know, and cannot deny, the existence and power of company culture.  That could be at the meta level, or within a small team, or anywhere inbetween. What are your experiences, positive or negative, with culture within a company?