Really, what is company culture? We hear this term all the time but what does it really mean and why is it important?

When weighing different job prospects, there are lots of factors to consider: compensation, benefits, location, job responsibilities and most of all, ”company culture.’  This notion of working somewhere with a great culture holds a lot of weight for Gen Y, a group of people that want to love the environment they work in… and rightfully so!

So what really makes up company culture, and why should you factor it into your job search?

1. The set of values that are important to the company: Every workplace has a set of values that are important to them. Google looks for ”ability and determination,’ Zappos values ”fun and a little weirdness,’ and GE fosters ”bringing ideas to life.’ All are great things to value but quite different. When you’re considering different companies, think about their values and how your personality might fit in.

2. The way employees are encouraged to approach their work: Different companies will favor different approaches in the way you will actually get work done. At my first recruiting job in investment banking there was a lot of importance placed on delivering work that was accurate, professional, and formatted even if it took a little longer. When I entered the fashion world, there was much more of an emphasis on delivering work that was innovative, creative, and could be immediately implemented. If it wasn’t perfect, we’d get it right over time. Really consider how you like to approach your work and whether you are joining a company that would favor that approach.

To read more about company culture, check out the full post on The Levo League.