Salary and benefits matter, but they aren’t the only factors that determine whether you’ll enjoy your job. Company culture influences everything from daily interactions with coworkers to opportunities for growth, making it an important factor when choosing an employer.
According to Ernst & Young’s 2025 U.S. Generation Survey, 94% of professionals say workplace culture affects whether they remain with an employer.
What Is Company Culture?
Company culture is the everyday experience of working for an organization. It’s reflected in how employees interact, how leaders communicate, how decisions are made and whether people feel supported, respected and valued.
“Culture is largely built from three things: values and principles, environment and the people within it,” says Courtney Kolar, chief people officer at Neighborly, a global home services company that has been recognized for strong company culture.
Culture also includes work-life balance, opportunities for growth, collaboration, recognition and trust.
Here are nine ways to learn about a company’s culture.
Research Beyond the Company Website
Don’t rely solely on Glassdoor or a company’s careers page. One negative review doesn’t define a workplace, so experts recommend comparing multiple sources.
“The company website is a helpful starting point, but it’s important to remember who it’s written for,” says Penny Guyton, an assistant dean in the college of business at the University of New England in Maine. “Information may be geared toward investors or prospective customers and may not provide a complete picture of workplace culture.”
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Instead, Guyton says, look to the company’s mission, purpose and recruiting language for insight into what it values in employees.
“Search for company hashtags on LinkedIn,” Kolar says, “check out the profiles of company leadership on LinkedIn as well, and see what they are posting about. Are they genuine? What types of comments or content are they sharing? Do your homework.”
Pay Attention to Employee Voices on Social Media
One of the biggest shifts in evaluating company culture is the rise of employee voices on social media. Unfiltered posts from employees often carry more weight than company messaging.
“Pay attention to that,” Kolar says. “Platforms like TikTok, anywhere you can post — LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. How do the people who work in the business talk about the business? There’s so much value in the raw, unscripted comments.”
Employee posts about team or community events can offer additional insight into how co-workers interact in and outside the office, Guyton says.
Observe the Hiring Process
Pay close attention during the interview process, experts suggest, because the hiring experience often reflects the workplace itself. Was communication timely? Were interviewers prepared and transparent? Did they answer questions clearly?
“The recruiting experience often mirrors the associate experience,” Kolar says. “If you have the opportunity to complete an on-site interview, do it. This is a great way to physically ensure the environment both looks and feels healthy.”
Ask Better Interview Questions
Kolar advises asking questions that require a story rather than an opinion, such as “How do you describe your company’s culture?” or “What is something that’s happened in the past 12 months that sends a signal to associates that the company cares about culture?”
“The latter question will require an example or a story,” Kolar says. “If they cannot come up with one, keep asking the next interviewer and see what themes emerge.”
Kolar also recommends asking what types of employees thrive there and how employees are recognized.
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Look for Evidence the Company Lives Its Values
It’s easy for companies to post values on a website. The real test is whether those values are evident throughout the hiring process. Kolar recommends asking interviewers about the company’s values and paying attention to how confidently and consistently they discuss them.
“If they struggle to articulate them or pause, take that as a bad sign of culture. You can feel when someone believes and lives them.”
Evaluate Flexibility and Work-Life Balance
Ask how the company handles remote work, flexible schedules, time off and after-hours communication, experts say. Find out whether employees actually take vacation and whether managers respect personal time.
“Generations now entering the workforce for the first time have different priorities than past generations,” Kolar says. “Instead of perks being major differentiators, today’s candidates are looking for workplace flexibility, trust and opportunities for growth.”
With hybrid work becoming more common, office perks matter less.
“Candidates are increasingly looking for proof, not promises,” Kolar says.
Talk to Current Employees
Speak with future teammates or another team leader whenever possible.
“Former and current employees are a tremendous resource in learning about a company culture, as they can provide deeper insights as to the day-to-day interactions with management, co-workers and customers,” Guyton says.
Ask how decisions are made, how much autonomy employees have and how leadership handles challenges.
“Use LinkedIn and your network to initiate a cold call contact and offer a Starbucks gift card for a virtual coffee talk as a way to connect,” Guyton says.
Consider whether you felt comfortable with the people you met. Ask what traits help employees thrive, then look for consistent answers.
“Ask if the team had an engagement survey recently,” Kolar says, “and if so, what were the themes that emerged? All of these data points will help shed light on the people you might be calling your peers.”
Look at Employee Tenure
Employee profiles on LinkedIn can reveal how long employees and leaders typically stay with an organization.
While every employer experiences turnover, a pattern of frequent departures, particularly among managers or executives, may be a red flag, some experts say. Glassdoor reviews can provide additional insight into turnover and employee satisfaction.
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Decide Whether the Culture Is a Good Fit for You
The right culture depends a lot on your work style and career goals. What energizes one employee may overwhelm another.
Look for alignment across employee reviews, social media, conversations and the company’s messaging. Kolar says some variation is normal, but a consistent story across multiple independent sources is a stronger indicator than polished marketing of an authentic culture.
“Our CEO often asks whether the steak matches the sizzle, and the same applies here,” Kolar says. “The sizzle is easy to find: a polished careers page, strong Glassdoor ratings and a list of awards.”
But Kolar says applicants should go deeper by checking LinkedIn, asking pointed interview questions and paying attention to what employees say on social media. If the story doesn’t hold up, she says, “the sizzle might be more than the steak.”
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9 Ways to Learn About a Company’s Culture originally appeared on usnews.com
