Find an Employer Aligned with Your Values
According to the US Department of Labor, 47 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs in 2021. The primary reason these employees joined the Great Resignation was because of toxic workplace cultures – cultures where exclusion and othering thrive.
The Great Resignation has been called many things, and one descriptor I particularly like is the Great Reflection. This mass reflection period encourages many of us to reimagine the kind of workplace culture we desire – one where our values fully align with our employers’ values.
During this period, many of us are reevaluating the outsized role work plays in our lives. Some employees who have yet to leave their jobs wonder why their personal values feel so far out of alignment with their employers’ values.
To belong at work, we have to feel a sense of pride. We feel pride when our personal values align with our employer’s values. This key belonging ingredient isn’t simply a by-product employees feel when an organization is successful, it is a prerequisite that leads to an organization’s success.
How Can You Assess Values Alignment?
This episode of the Imagine Belonging at Work Podcast helps job seekers determine if their values align with a potential employers. The episode specifically explores this question: how can you trust if an employer’s stated values are more than simply lip service?
The good news - the following 5 simple actions can support any job seeker answer that question. These actions will help job seekers better identify your next great job opportunity. These actions include:
Know Your Values. Have you taken the time to really explore what your personal values are? If you’re looking for ideas on how to develop your personal values, check out this resource. Clarifying your own values will make it easier to search for an employer that aligns with them.
Prioritize Your Values. You are then encouraged to prioritize your values. What are the values a prospective employer must have demonstrated that align with the top values you embody that you absolutely cannot compromise?
Research Prospective Employers. Before applying to any promising opportunities, thoroughly research a company’s online presence. Some of the best places to search beyond a company’s website are online business journals, the better business bureau, and social media platforms. Do these sources confirm the company embodies the values you hold dear, or do they run afoul of them?
Talk to Current/Past Employees. A simple LinkedIn search can help you target current and past employees. It can never hurt to reach out to those leads and send a few questions asking about their experiences at the company. For people who voluntarily left, ask for an honest conversation about why they left. You will likely gain a better sense of how the company’s stated values are actually lived out by comparing the responses of past and current employees.
During Your Interview. When interviewing for your next great job, remember to inquire about the organization’s values by asking behavioral focused questions including, “you mentioned that your company values DEI. Please share a time when you saw the organization champion its DEI commitments?” The response will help you determine if their values are more than lip-service.
On the podcast, I share five more behavior focused questions you may want to ask hiring managers to gain a better sense of topics focused on belonging, employee engagement, how they are defining success for the role you are considering, how decisions are made, and what the leadership team values.
As you continue to reflect on the role you want work to play in your life, maximize this moment to initiate the changes you would like to make to bring more safety, trust, and belonging into your daily routine. Remember that you have enormous bargaining power as you conduct your job search.
Embrace your power in this moment, and if you’re looking for more ideas on how to build more belonging in your personal and professional life, we have even more resources for you to consider. There are two ways you can consume more content like this article:
Grab your copy of Imagine Belonging: https://www.imaginebelonging.com/. This book offers a great blueprint to help you visualize the kind of workplace culture you require to do your best work, and identify the many possibilities available to activate your vision.
Subscribe to the Imagine Belonging at Work Newsletter: https://www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe. This newsletter features a wealth of free resources that will help you successfully advance and sustain your organization’s DEI goals.
You can always subscribe to the podcast by visiting: http://www.imaginebelongingatwork.com/. Each week, you’ll receive fresh insights on how to imagine and then build moments of belonging at work. Together, with your support, we will grow our #BelongingMovement. Keep going!
