Company culture is one of those intangible concepts that’s not always easy to understand, and that’s even more true when the hiring process happens remotely.

Simply put, company culture refers to the attitudes and behaviours of a company and its employees, evident in the way an organisation’s people interact with each other, the values they hold, and the decisions they make.

Here are six tips to help you understand and evaluate a company’s culture before you accept an offer, even if you never step foot in the office.

1. Know what you’re looking for

You probably have a list of must-haves you’re searching for in your next position. This should include not only the fundamentals such as pay and benefits, but also the values you want your company to prioritise and the cultural aspects that resonate with you.

This prep work is particularly important when you’re going through the process remotely. Trying to understand every aspect of a company’s culture through video chats and internet research alone can be overwhelming, so zone in on the factors that are most important to you to look for encouraging signs – as well as deal breakers.

2. Do independent research

Despite the remote hiring process, you still have resources at your fingertips to understand the inner workings of a company. Dig into online resources, including the organisation’s website, blog and social media.

In particular, look out for relevant content they might have published, such as a behind-the-scenes look at how they transitioned to remote work during the pandemic, or the different social good initiatives their team members are part of.

Do they respond to customer inquiries promptly and respectfully? Do they share content from their employees? Does their overall voice and tone align with what you’re looking for?

3. Connect with employees

Nobody has better insight into a company’s culture than the employees who work, or have worked, there. Getting in touch with current and/or former team members can give you some behind-the-scenes knowledge.

You could ask the person who’s spearheading your hiring process if they could introduce you to employees who might be willing to answer your questions about culture. This demonstrates your interest in the company, and also shows you’re someone who takes initiative.

4. Ask specific questions

At the end of a job interview, you should have the opportunity to ask questions. This is your chance to find out about the aspects that are most important to you, such as:

• how does your team maintain strong bonds, even when working remotely?
• how has your company culture changed with some or all of your team working outside of the office?
• what was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome when your team began working remotely?
• what tools do you use to keep communication streamlined between in-office and remote teams?
• what team traditions do your remote and in-office employees love?

Asking questions isn’t just a chance for you to look good and demonstrate your engagement in the hiring process, it’s also a way to get your hands on the information you need to make an educated decision about whether or not you want to work there.

5. Observe what you can

When you’re trying to suss out a company’s culture, you need to take in whatever clues and information you can.

As you speak to a recruiter, hiring manager, or any other team member, ask yourself: how content do people seem in their roles? Are they excited about bringing somebody new onto the team, or exhausted at the prospect of needing to train and onboard?

Are they providing thoughtful answers to your questions, or rushing through them?

6. Use the hiring process as your cue

The hiring process itself should give you a glimpse into how the company treats not only its applicants but also its employees. Things worth paying attention to during the hiring process include:

• Organisation

If the hiring process is disorganised and filled with misunderstandings and frustrations, working at the company could be the same way. In contrast, if they have streamlined systems in place that show an obvious respect for your time, that’s a sign they value the people who interact with and work for their company.

• Communication

The interview process is also an opportunity to evaluate their communication as a company. What tools did they use? How did their communication come across to you?

There’s a noticeable difference between communication that’s timely and thorough, versus an email that’s curt and only answers half your questions.

• Work-life balance

Are you getting emails from a hiring manager in the middle of the night or over the weekend? That could be an indicator their culture doesn’t prioritise disconnecting and downtime. But bear in mind that one of the potential benefits of remote work is control over your schedule, which means employees might actually prefer to work flexibly.

Plus, remote work also means the hiring manager could be in an entirely different time zone. If you’re not sure how to interpret what you’re seeing, ask about flexible schedules and balance.

Remember, a company’s hiring process typically isn’t a standalone activity; it’s a direct reflection of their values and approach to work, which you should use to your advantage.

This article first appeared in jobstore.com, an online job site that specialises in providing jobseekers with the latest job opportunities by matching talented individuals with reputable companies in Malaysia. Find your dream job with over 40,000 job vacancies in Malaysia.