The Corporate Culture Paradox:
The job interview was going well!
Kevin had a good feeling about it. He met with his would-be manager, a couple of peers, and several folks a few levels above his rank. All he heard was how the company is interested in human capital and culture is inclusive and egalitarian. The place is a meritocracy. The firm encourages work-life balance.
Kevin has also done some due diligence in online forums. Some of the reviews were bad, but he thought they might be from a few disgruntled employees.
As Kevin’s instincts indicated, he received an offer including a relocation package. Woohoo! Life is good. Onwards and upwards.
So, Kevin and his girlfriend Deanna packed up their bags and move Seattle, WA to Atlanta, GA in pursuit of a better title, a bigger paycheck, larger company, and seemingly more affordable place.
The onboarding and immersion were lackadaisical, and the attitude was not reflective of the narrative he heard during the courting process.
Culture Paradox:
Shrugging the experience off, Kevin dove into his job with immense enthusiasm and a zeal to contribute and make a difference. The role was not well defined. There are a lot of others who claimed he was encroaching on their turf. The pace was hectic, and the gossip was non-stop. There was no sense of camaraderie, there were a lot of cliques, and the culture was cut throat.
No one appreciates Kevin’s work – all that mattered was meeting deadlines despite how bad the quality was. Also, the rosy picture of business prospects and sales growth turned out to more fiction
Also, Kevin and Deanna missed Seattle and their friends. And the stress was straining their relationship.
It was a disappointing experience all across.
Culture claims its Victim:
Fast forward to six months Kevin quit his job and headed back to Seattle without any firm job offer.
The company which spent four months in the recruiting process and incurred various expenses is now added to the attrition rate and has yet another disgruntled employee. In the end, the company did not gain much from this debacle.
Why is such a culture paradox? Why do companies and the leaders create such a false narrative and portray things differently? Do they not know what their culture indeed is? Or is it intentional? Do they think they can get away with such a drastically different picture? Instead, if they were honest, there would be a particular group of employees who might join – either because they naturally belong to the culture or need the job and don’t care about the rest.
Why talk about work-life balance when the average work week is 70-hours? Why claim inclusive and egalitarian culture when the truth is anything but. Why speak of meritocracy and meaningful work when job descriptions and role distinctions do not exist, growth opportunities are absent, and training and development are access to a website with some content?
Why do companies engage in this culture paradox and self-deception and try to recruit someone who does not belong?
What are your thoughts?