You’ve put in the time and gained the necessary skills to advance in your field, but is that new role you’ve been eyeing really going to make you happier? According to Glassdoor research, company culture is two times more important in predicting job satisfaction than compensation and benefits, yet many of us get excited about a new job simply because we may make more money.

When you start researching a company’s culture, look for more than perks like weekly happy hours and discounts on your next car. Rather, learn about the company’s values, beliefs, and behaviors that guide the way they conduct business and ask yourself whether the company’s approach aligns with your personal values. Getting introspective about the values thing is good for employee and employer, so it’s well worth your time to do some research and give it some thought.

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR VALUES

Set parameters around what matters most to you in a potential employer. Do you value work-life balance? Community engagement? A free daily cappuccino? Innovation? Transparency? Flexible work schedule?

Create a list and rank these values in order of importance. Pull out the list when faced with a new career opportunity to help you spot companies who believe what you believe, and warn you about companies that would not be conducive to your professional growth.

STEP 2: RESEARCH

Research your target company while envisioning what it would be like to work there.

Start with the employer’s website. Browse the “About” section and focus specifically on areas like “Culture” or “Social Responsibility.” This will give you an understanding of the type of activities, language, and imagery the company uses to portray themselves as an employer of choice. Sites like Glassdoor or Indeed also provide useful insights into what it’s like to work for an organization from the employee perspective.

STEP 3: BE PASSIONATE

You should never compromise your values to try to fit into an organization’s culture. Your beliefs exist for a reason, and it’s vital to your career success and happiness that you take the steps to find an organization that complements them.

At EG, our values guide everything we do. We communicate them through recognition in meetings, annual award ceremonies, and in-office signage; and we acknowledge each other when we see company values being acted on in the workplace. It doesn’t matter how the organization you’re vetting chooses to verbalize their values, but it does matter that they genuinely live them on a daily basis.

To take a step forward in your career or discuss any other recruitment matter, contact EG. info@eg-us.com