voxpro When looking for a job, are you forgetting the most important consideration?
Image: Luke Maxwell

Why do jobseekers need to think about company culture?

18 Apr 2018

How do you know a company is going to be the right fit for you? We spoke to some of the people at Voxpro about the company culture and hiring process there.

When you’re looking for a place to work, a lot of factors come into play. What will your role at the company entail? What will your salary be? Where is the office?

It’s easy to get swept up in the purely logistical considerations and fail to take into account something that will be vital to your ability to enjoy your job and flourish at your place of work: the company culture.

Company culture will dictate what the people you’re interacting with will be motivated by. It will tell you a bit about the direction a company will want to take, and why.

As grim as a statistic as it may seem, you end up spending more time at work with your colleagues than you do with friends and family, so being able to relate to and identify with them, and the company for which you are all working, is vitally important. So, how do you make sure you’re headed to the right organisation for you?

Russell Keogh, a team manager at Voxpro – now trading as ‘Voxpro – powered by Telus International’ – understands the importance of company culture. His company is offering a wide variety of opportunities in line with the exponential growth Voxpro expects to experience but, ultimately, if a candidate does not feel they are a correct fit with the company culture, there isn’t a role that could possibly suit them.

“If you come into our offices wearing a suit, you’ll feel as uncomfortable as you look.” Keogh explained. “So, it’s just more important that the culture fitting the person is right for Voxpro.”

Aniek Smith, a tier-one agent on the Dutch customer service team, moved from her home country to Ireland and took up a role at Voxpro. For her, being able to appreciate other cultures is a core aspect of the company’s community. “There are so many different cultures here at Voxpro.”

A sense of humour is also vital, Smith said. “You have to have a laugh because, even though you’re working with customers constantly, there are also different teams and you bond with your team.

“They help you whenever there’s a case that might be a bit difficult or you don’t know, so everybody wants to help everyone. You have to be open for that.”

So, Voxpro might sound like exactly the type of place you want to work, and you want to come on board. How do you make yourself stand out in an interview though?

Inês Prates works as a talent consultant at Voxpro and so her bread and butter, so to speak, is getting the best talent through the door. When she’s hiring, seeing that candidates have done their homework is impressive.

“I really appreciate when I’m interviewing candidates and they actually took the time to research the company’s history, the culture. It means that they are not only looking for a temporary job, but mainly to build a career with us because of who we are.”

It all ends up circling back to the same thing, however: the right attitude. “A good CV and technical skills will definitely get you an interview but, in order to stand out, you actually need to be charismatic and passionate about the job.

“We’d definitely hire someone who has much more enthusiasm and willingness to learn than another candidate with more experience.”

Finally, you need to be a self-starter, Prates said. “[We’re looking for] someone creative, willing to take the initiative and willing to share their ideas and achievements.

“There’s always space for our employees to bring their ideas to life and actually make a difference in the business.”

Eva Short
By Eva Short

Eva Short was a journalist at Silicon Republic, specialising in the areas of tech, data privacy, business, cybersecurity, AI, automation and future of work, among others.

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