As I research companies during this “Choose Your Own Adventure” period of my career, company culture is #1 on my priority list. Here are my suggestions of how to see through the fog using LinkedIn:
Who ‘Follows the Leader’?
How many reactions do posts from the CEO get and from who? Is it a broad following at the company or a select few? If it’s the latter, that’s a red flag of an exclusionary culture.
Crickets? Or Raving Fans?
What do employees say about the culture on LinkedIn? If nobody talks about it positively, or at all, red flag. I see companies where the employees across the board rave about the culture. You can’t fake that.
I Believe You Have My Stapler
Search for people who no longer work at the company and make a timeline. Is there a constant turnover of leadership? Red flag! Contact them and ask their opinion. People are more honest after they’ve left. Don’t formulate an opinion based on one conversation because perhaps it’s the person that didn’t fit the culture. It’s the pattern that counts.
Remember, you should interview the company just as much as they interview you, so do your research!