Knowing You Are In the Right Room....

I have had the opportunity to change employers four times over the last ten years. Twice by choice; twice following layoffs. I can't quite figure out how to put "experienced job changer" into my resume, but I am beginning to feel like an expert. Consistent with my commitment to Open Source Leadership*, I'd like to share some thoughts on how to know you are at the right (or wrong) company. I wonder what other "serial job changers" have experienced?

The first few weeks on the job can feel like your first day as a college freshman. You know you are probably prepared for the task ahead, but you are not completely comfortable you have made the right decision. We've all walked into the wrong classroom or meeting room at some point. You assume you are in the right place; you think perhaps not, then perhaps so, and finally you realize: this is Econ 101; you're supposed to be in Civics. The "new" phase of the job can feel just like those first few seconds in an unfamilar place, only it lasts for weeks.
I have decided this period of disorientation and fleeting doubts on a new job can be reduced by learning to look for certain clues. Obviously, if it turns out you are really with the wrong company, it's too late to change that, but at least you can focus on your search for your next company, once you conclude you are in the wrong room. And if you are in the right place, you can relax and focus on how to make a positive difference for your new employer.

At most companies, there will be some kind of orientation. At the right company, this process will give you some idea of what is important to company leadership in some personal way, as in, "Bill, the Founder and CEO, hosts quarterly town hall meetings so that employees can ask questions." At the wrong company, you will be handed some booklets or given a web address by an HR representative who brings your attention to the dress code, the attendance policy, and the deadlines for returning paper work. You may see some literature or posters about corporate values or company mission statement, but no one takes the time to 'evangelize' to you about what is great about the company.

At the wrong company, you will be left to fend for yourself, trying to figure out the expectations of the role you are filling. You will be told that the information you need is on the corporate internet, but if you can locate it, it's obviously dated or inaccurate. When you ask your manager about the situation, she'll get a little flustered. She's a victim of the bad company, too. Top leadership announced "we all need to do a better job of communicating!" a few years ago. Someone knew how to set up internal web pages. But no one owned the message. HR did not shoulder the responsibility for ensuring the right information was maintained.

At the right company, the sharing of information may be imperfect, a little disorganized, but there is a good faith effort to share knowledge. Surveys will be distributed fairly regularly. Managers hear out the vocally negative, but they don't get defensive. There is a reason for anything that happens, if you just ask.

Those are some very consistent indicators to me. What have you experienced in your travels?

*not my idea - check out my good friends at Lead Change http://leadchangegroup.com, for more on being an Open Source Leader.