What Type of Workplace Culture is Right for You?
May 02, 2022

​Imagine this: You turn up for your first day at your new job, only to find that your casual attire doesn’t blend in with your colleagues’ expensive suits, your clear backpack is a far cry from everyone’s leather briefcases, and your preferred way of working — listening to your favorite music — is simply “not done.”


This kind of “fish out of water” scenario usually has a happy ending in Hollywood movies — think of the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon — but in real life, things can be quite different. And that’s why it’s so important to know what kind of workplace culture is right for you when you’re looking for a new job.

What is workplace culture?


Workplace culture — also referred to as “organizational culture” — encompasses the values, beliefs, and behaviors people share in the workplace. According to Susan M. Heathfield in her article titled “
Culture: Your Environment for People at Work” for The Balance, it has an impact on language, symbols, stories, decision making, and daily work practices. 

It’s important to consider workplace culture during your job search. Why? Because an environment where you feel welcomed, at ease, and encouraged to do your best is conducive to your overall performance and productivity, as well as your happiness. In contrast, if you feel like an outsider and don’t have the support you need, it can be detrimental to your performance and career — not to mention your mental and physical health. 

What type of workplace culture is right for you?


Although every company has its own unique workplace culture, experts state that there are various main types. In their FastCompany article titled “
Three Types of Work Culture and How to Hire for Each of Them,” David Rock and Khalil Smith list three distinct types:


  • The entrepreneurial culture, where employees are expected to work autonomously, with little to no supervision. People who do well in this kind of environment are independent, resourceful, and focused. They possess the ability to set goals, make plans for achieving them, and execute those plans effectively. 


  • The collaborative culture, where high value is placed on collaboration. You’ll succeed in this environment if you enjoy teamwork, place the team’s success before your own, and are clear on how you contribute. You’ll also need good communication and interpersonal skills. 


  • The changing culture, where employees need to be driven, adaptable, and resilient in order to help the company navigate a transitional period. This is a good fit if you’re agile, have a growth mindset, and are able to turn negatives into positives.


If you’re not sure about a company’s workplace culture during the hiring process, simply ask the recruiter or hiring manager for more insights. Then, by combining what you’ve just learned about the different types of culture with your knowledge of your own values and beliefs, you’ll be in a better position to accept a job in an environment where you can thrive. 

Sources:

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/culture-your-environment-for-people-at-work-1918809

https://www.fastcompany.com/40543018/three-types-of-work-culture-and-how-to-hire-for-each-of-them

14 Aug, 2023
Rephrasing the famous song, “Love is in the air”, let’s talk about change is in the air – and everywhere. We grow. We change. Look at your childhood photos. Watch your kid, your nephew, your niece. The change is there, and it’s incredible. Nature is constantly changing. We wait for summer as the time to enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, for a quick visit to the beach, or simply take time to relax and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. We wait for winter (even if we never see snow falling) to decorate the house for the holidays, pack presents for the people we love and unpack our own. The colour of the leaves changes, the weather shifts, and flowers blossom in their time – the landscape is constantly transforming. The world around us is changing. We travel to other countries and learn new things, cultures and languages. We take on new hobbies. We get new skills. After a couple of minor kitchen accidents (sometimes), we can cook delicious dishes and get compliments from family and friends. We transform our bodies at the gym or simply by creating the habit of walking every day. We meet new people, we sometimes fall in love, we build families, we have kids. And if you step back for a second, you realise you might have met your other half by pure accident. But you took a leap of faith into the unknown. We embrace many types of unknown change, except for the one that can change how we live five days a week – to change jobs. “I am too old/too young to change”, “I’m used to this environment; It’s my comfort zone”, “Well, I don’t get any promotion, and what I do doesn’t change the world, but it’s stable”, “I am afraid to ask for more interesting projects. What if my manager fires me?”. We often don’t want to change because that step requires a vision, courage, external support, and a leap of faith into the unknown. Scary? Yes. But also promising. A step into the unknown? Yes. But it can open a new door. Do your inner values marry what you do? Yes, it is essential. There is nothing terrible about staying in your comfort zone. At some stage of your career, staying put can be an excellent decision. But if you feel that you need a change – talk to Kelly. We don’t mind going the extra mile and support your wish to embrace the change. The one which will give meaning to what you do, feel proud, motivated and fulfilled. Ready for changing? We’ll make sure your talent can truly shine.
10 Aug, 2023
You’ve seen these guys before when a circus came to your city or maybe on TV. They walk on a wire at an impressive height, sometimes without insurance, sometimes with a long stick that probes the void right and left. They walk slowly, trying the wire with their toes first, making small steps, their eyes fixed on the small platform where they plan to land soon. They never watch down. They don’t listen to an audience that applauses or gasps in awe. They are concentrated on keeping their balance. To keep balance. Let’s come down from the wire above the arena or stage. Let’s look closer at balance, where it has its roots and the secrets of keeping it. Is it an art? Or is it a skill? Can you learn to keep balance? Or is it an innate skill that only gymnasts, figure skaters, circus artists and ballet dancers are born with? Want to know the secrets of a ballerina that must perform 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at a high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe? First, keeping balance is a skill people must learn for years. In ballet, sport, circus, real life, and… work life. A ballerina is taught to pick one point and to fix her eyes on it when she makes her 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe. She focuses on one thing that keeps her upright. She doesn’t look anywhere else. Gymnasts in some disciplines are constantly trained to feel the bar under their feet. They are prepared to land precisely on the bar after they jump, and the incredible contortions we admire in competitions. But let’s come back to the circus artists we have begun with. Often, they have a long stick in their hands to keep their balance. Is their secret hidden in the stick? And what is the secret? You don’t need to be a ballet dancer, a gymnast, or a circus artist to get the idea of balance. Here are your first two steps in your balance training: 1. Keep your main priorities in mind. And have a clear idea about what is very important for you and where you are ready to compromise. But don’t listen to external opinions that don’t align with your ideals. Forget about the audience’s applause – focus on you. 2. Use some help to stay upright and get to your goals. Imagine your life split on two ends of the helping stick, your job is on one end, and your private life is on another. How comfortable do you feel at your height now with the load on both ends? You need support. We at Kelly pay a lot of attention to balance. The balance between people’s private lives and their jobs. The balance between feeling appreciated and professional goals or between achieving extraordinary results and being inspired. Talk to Kelly today. We are not ballet coaches or sports trainers, but we know much about how important work/life balance is in our lives.
03 Aug, 2023
We often associate certain qualities with individuals who seem to possess a natural talent for creativity. We convince ourselves that painting, singing, or dancing are pursuits reserved for these "real" artists while we remain mere spectators. Creativity? Inspiration? No, it's not about me.
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