The time has come. You have started to undertake new endeavors and you want to make the right decision. It can seem daunting and change can be difficult. While the devil you know can sometimes be better than the devil you don’t know, that’s not always the case. Don’t get stuck in a situation that doesn’t offer the promise and culture you want. Culture is the most important component for long-term satisfaction and success.
one. Company and team size: A larger organization will often have more mandates, a more elaborate structure, processes, and levels. This is not always the case, but it should be something to consider. The size of the team also matters. If you are a technology arm of the business and are understaffed, this can mean you will have many roles. This can be good for personal growth, but it can be a challenge for scheduling, meeting commitments, and making improvements.
2. Standardization Level: Are there defined processes and methodologies that add value and are they really followed? Believing in the benefits and the need for standards is the first step. If the organization you are considering bucks on this issue or is unable to demonstrate its views, this could be a red flag. Also, whether or not these processes are followed is another area to consider. This may not be as easy to discover, but at the very least you could ask to see samples of various artifacts related to the project. I’ve done this before and the organization generally understands it, is willing to comply, and appreciates the initiative and desire to ensure a mutual fit.
3. Awareness of new technologies and approaches: If possible, I would highly recommend meeting with the team you will be working with during the interview. Personally, I have been in situations where I have asked to sit next to a team member during the day and observe and ask questions. This is also useful for the recruiting organization to gain additional views and opinions on your fit within their environment. You can learn a lot by doing this. You will learn how people actually interact with each other, motivation levels, obstacles that are present for some very critical reasons, etc. During this observation, you can get a sense of the depth of knowledge and skills of your prospective team. Have they never heard of the concepts and technologies you mention? Or are they quick to respond that those ideas will never work in their organization? If they simply state that there is no
value or use, this could be a great indicator of what you would face in your day to day work.
Four. Opening to change: Pushing through approval processes and how much leeway employees are given is a good area to determine if you’ll be able to implement the changes and projects you plan. If the environment is command and control and you come from a background of creativity and autonomy, this could be a frustrating endeavor. How does this organization react when a risk is identified? This can be difficult to measure in advance, but risk identification is a necessary and healthy business necessity. Yes, I said healthy. Many organizations often shoot the courier and view the delivery person as a detractor. While delivery is important, an open and improvement-focused organization will understand and value this information.
5. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities: This should be a relatively easy topic to tackle since you’ll likely have a job ad and detailed description in front of you. If you don’t have a starting point job description or some boundaries and goals for the position, I’m afraid this opens you up to whatever task you can tackle. This is not to say that with detailed descriptions you can’t be given similar assignments, it’s just less likely to go astray just as quickly. These description guidelines will help you understand how organizations view this role. Even for something as established as a project management role, I am often amazed at how many representations organizations can create. If you want to run projects, make the necessary calls and adjustments, and the prospective organization sees a project manager as a gatekeeper and scheduler, you may be in trouble.
There is always a right way and a wrong way to do things. If you position yourself properly, most organizations will assist you and even appreciate your level of rigor. Especially in the area of technology and project management, I would be skeptical of organizations that did not expect this from potential new hires.
Often, organizations will present a rosy picture in the courtship stages. Hopefully some of these tips will help you figure out what isn’t obvious. Culture matters, pay attention to all interactions and listen to your intuition.