Finding the right company for your personality
How important is personality fit to you when selecting a company to work for? Is the culture of an organisation a deciding factor?
When looking for a new role, what are your priorities? Do you want to work for a successful company with strong growth opportunities? Or would you rather work for a company that feels like a family and shares your values? Do you want both?
Subconsciously, we all look to follow a career path that is suited to our personality. Finding the right company is an important step in the process…a company that aligns to your values, behaviours and what you strive for.
Individuals thrive in certain environments, based on their personality and what stimulates them to perform to the best of their ability. It is important to take the time to think about what the preferred environment is for you – both physically and psychologically. The culture of an organisation can be a key part of that personality-fit. A good level of self-awareness plays an important role in the selection process.
As we continue to develop increasingly diverse workforces, teams are made up of a wide range of personalities. You may be loud and extroverted, or extremely quiet; a subjective thinker or more interested in logic and facts; best at collaborating in groups or solving problems individually; a born leader or a rock-solid supporter… we are all unique and it is this diversity that enriches the culture of a company. As employees, we are not robots and different personalities should be celebrated!
What brings you together as a unified team is a strong and aligned set of values. If your values align with those of your colleagues and the company you work for, you should end up in a pretty good environment. At the right company you will be able to feel like yourself, and be appreciated for the unique presence you bring to the team.
Why was M&T right for me?
Building a great culture within an organisation is essential to creating a workplace that people want to be in. This in turn leads to success. I have worked for a few different organisations – all with completely different environments and directions, yet all within the same industry. The different company culture and values systems really distinguish one from the other.
As a company, M&T Resources strives to be the best it can be, whilst also nurturing and developing individuals from within. The shared focus on employee growth and building relationships between the teams is emulated nationally. Despite the geographical separation, there is a focus on inclusion and connectivity between the states. The company culture is felt in all offices – something I had never seen before.
This is what I love about being a part of the M&T family. It is so unique to feel comfortable picking up the phone and calling anyone in the company, knowing they will be happy to help you.
Recently, M&T Resources developed new company values, a process that occurred while all M&T staff were away together at the annual Sales Conference. The team was involved in two days of team-building activities and workshops where we worked hard to evolve the company values. Everyone in the team – regardless of seniority or job role – had a voice and the opportunity to develop a set of values that we all believe in and represent. This inclusivity was very special.
For me, this focus on nurturing a collaborative national team is well suited to my own personality. I am at my best when can feel and act like myself, surrounded by people that I respect and enjoy spending time with – both in the office and personally.
So how do you select the right company for your personality?
Many people enter the workforce in their early twenties when they are typically still in the phase of figuring out who they are, and how they prefer to work. During this time, it is hard to be certain if the company you chose to work for is right for you and your personality.
Often when I interview a candidate I ask them “what made you want to work in your field or industry?”. Usually, this will lead to an answer relating to their interest in the industry, or even sometimes an admission that they simply “fell into it”.
I am always very interested to hear what made them choose that particular company. Were they selective or were they happy to take a job, anywhere? Did they take the time to read about the company, their corporate vision / mission statement and really understand if their values aligned with their own?
Core values shape the culture of a company, promoting and modelling leadership and expected behaviours / KPIs for all employees. Taking the time to find the right company could ultimately lead to you working for a company that is a perfect fit.
It is important to consider your performance in certain environments…such as whether you need consistent acknowledgement / reward, whether you respond best to clear hierarchies, what importance you place on building colleague relationships, and your ideal level of work / life balance, to name a few.
My top tips for selecting the right company for you:
- Self awareness is a great place to start! If you don’t know your personality type, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test is a useful tool. It can be quite enlightening (and also fun!). Created in 1944, it is a psychoanalytical questionnaire that sorts a person’s thinking preferences across those four dimensions, resulting in 16 distinctive personality types.
- During your job search, take the time to research the company and jump on the website to understand their mission statement and/or values. Consider whether you agree with and feel connected to them. A clear understanding of a company’s intent is important. This will help you decide if you agree with it and could get behind it as an employee. Is this a company whose values you would want to champion?
- Research the company tenure. If people have worked there for a long time something is being done right. A high turnover is not always cause for alarm, but it is something you might want to look into further.
- Network! Ask around about the company and the culture. Try to speak directly to people who have experience working at the company. Both current and past employees can be a great source of knowledge. Great companies have great reputations and it is usually not too hard to find this out.
- If you have the opportunity to interview, try to find out as much as you can by asking questions. Companies with a strong focus on culture and employee satisfaction are usually very proud of this and have a lot to say on the matter. It can be a really great opportunity to understand their focus as an employer, and how this would relate to the day-to-day environment.
- Read the company’s blogs or newsletters. This is usually where staff are acknowledged and celebrated, and where company priorities are showcased. They will give you a glimpse into the culture, and how you would be treated if you were to join the company.
And finally, follow your instinct. We can all be tempted by the fear of missing out on a role…what if this is your best offer? However, taking the time to reflect on what you want out of your job, and how you want to be treated as an employee, can really impact on your performance and happiness within a company. Wouldn’t it be great to find the perfect fit?