Finding The Right Tech Company Culture

The job description looks shiny. The salary looks great. But what about the CULTURE? Because the wrong culture will burn you out faster than a bad boss. Here’s how to tell if a company is truly worth your time: 1. Read between the lines in the job posting. ↳ Do they emphasize growth, teamwork, and well-being or just “fast-paced” and “wear many hats”? 2. Scan employee reviews carefully. ↳ Look for patterns in Glassdoor/Indeed reviews. One negative review is normal. Ten saying the same thing? That’s a red flag. 3. Stalk LinkedIn. ↳ Notice how long people stay at the company. High turnover usually = shaky culture. 4. Watch leadership’s online presence. ↳ Do executives share values, appreciation, or thought leadership? Or is it silent/robotic? 5. Check diversity at all levels. ↳ If leadership photos all look the same, it tells you something about inclusion. 6. Pay attention during the interview. ↳ Do they treat you like a human being or like you’re lucky just to be there? 7. Ask about career paths. ↳ Healthy cultures talk openly about growth opportunities. Unhealthy ones dodge the question. 8. Look for signs of work-life balance. ↳ If “availability 24/7” sneaks into the convo, that’s a 🚩. 9. Notice how they follow up. ↳ Respectful, timely communication = respect is built in. ↳ Ghosting = the opposite. 10. Ask about onboarding. ↳ A strong culture invests in helping new hires succeed, not throwing them in the deep end. 11. Look for employee recognition. ↳ Frequent appreciation and shoutouts show a culture of respect and motivation. 12. Trust your gut. ↳ If something feels off, it usually is. You’re not just job hunting. You’re culture hunting. And the right culture is the difference between dreading Mondays and actually thriving at work. If this resonated, save this post for your next interview, and share it with someone who’s job searching too!

If no one mentions the culture during your interviews, that silence might be saying everything you need to know. Military community job seekers tell us all the time that they’re looking for “the right culture” in their next role. But culture is not just a line on a careers page or something you dig up on Glassdoor. It shows up in the in-between moments, often once someone has already accepted the job. So, a big challenge is figuring out what a company’s culture looks like during the interview process. Luckily, over the years, I’ve picked up a few things to listen and look for: ➕ Pay attention to how people act. What’s the tone in your interactions? Are people telling you why they love working there without being asked? Do you feel it in the way they talk about their team? You can’t fake that (at least, not for long). ➕ Notice what they ask you. If every question is about your skills and experience - and none are about you as a person - that tells you something. Great cultures care about who you are, not just what you do. ➕ Ask better questions. Instead of just “Tell me about your culture,” I recommend trying: “Can you talk to me about someone who made a big impact when they joined?” or “What’s something I could do early on to contribute to your culture - or hurt it?” These little shifts will help you hear how people really feel about the environment you’d be stepping into. Because if the best version of a company doesn’t mention the culture…that’s a red flag. And I’ve talked to too many people who only spotted those red flags after they started.

“Culture” is a big part of career happiness. But most people don’t know how to find it. Here are 7 ways to research a company’s culture before you apply: 1/ Get Clear On Your Culture Everyone says they want to be part of a "great culture." But most don't have a specific definition of "great." 1. List out everything you get with a new job 2. Brainstorm 3 examples of what "great" looks like for each Specificity is key. 2/ Read The Company's Benefits Page We'll start with the obvious. Read over the company's HR pages (careers, benefits, etc). Do they specifically mention things that are important to you? If so, great! If not, we need to dig deeper. 3/ Read Glassdoor Reviews Look up the company's reviews on Glassdoor. Ignore the 1 start and 5 star reviews. 1's tend to be outliers and 5's can be manufactured. The 2-4 star reviews typically have the good stuff. Comb through them for specific mentions of culture. 4/ Listen To Interviews With Execs Culture starts at the top. How are the company's leaders talking about it? Run a search for "[Company] Leadership Team." Grab each leader's name and search for: - [Name] interview culture - [Name] podcast culture - [Name] keynote culture 5/ Find Employees Who Left For Greener Pastures Head to LinkedIn. Run a search, then click on "All Filters." Add your target company to the "Past Companies" filter. Now look for people who left for "better" opportunities. They tend to give the most objective information. 6/ Look Up Current Employees Online Use LinkedIn to find people in your target role. Check out their profiles, Google their names, check their socials, etc. Ask yourself: Do these people share my values, interests, and goals? You'll be spending 40+ hours / week with them. 7/ Ask In Interviewers Use the Q&A portion of the interview to ask good questions. For example: "I read that X is a big part of [Company]'s culture. Can you give me an example of how you've seen that play out in your time here?"

Culture isn’t about perks or mission statements. It’s how people feel on a Sunday night. Culture is also how teams collaborate. How ideas flow. How wins are celebrated. It's flexible hours. Growth opportunities. Meaningful work. Culture is feeling valued. Being heard. Making an impact. The best part? These things cost little to no money to implement. The best companies know… Great culture isn't expensive. But poor culture costs everything. This is why I coach my job search clients to dig deeper during interviews. - Observe the hiring manager(s) behaviors - Watch how you’re being treated during the process - Ask specific questions about what matters to you (e.g. flexibility, growth paths, or decision-making styles) Try speaking with current and former employees too. Those conversations can reveal things you might not hear during interviews. Because your next job isn't just about salary or title. It's about finding a culture where you'll thrive. ♻ Share with others if this resonates. And follow me for more posts like this. 📌 Want to find a better culture? Each month, I help a select number of professionals land fulfilling $200K-$500K roles. DM me for info.