Are you able to accurately describe your work environment in just three words?
Knowing how to describe your work environment is important for many reasons. First of all, being able to describe it will assist you in deciding whether it’s a healthy work environment that is conducive to your growth and success. Or it is an unhealthy environment that will drag you down and which you should consider leaving.
You might also be asked to describe your current work environment in a job interview, and knowing how to do so may be critical for explaining to potential employers why you are leaving your job.
Your current employer might also ask you to describe your work environment as a way to gauge your happiness at the company.
In this guide, I will explain how to assess and understand your work environment. I will also teach you how to identify three words that you can use to describe your work environment.
The short version: After assessing your work environment, settle on a few words that describe it in your mind, such as nurturing, goal-oriented, flexible, or fast-paced. Then, rate each word on a scale of 1-10 to identify the key characteristics that describe your workplace.
Let’s learn more about it in the upcoming paragraphs.
Assessing Your Work Environment
The first step is assessing your work environment and seeing how it measures up to your desired benchmarks in various categories. Take some time for some self-reflection about your day-to-day experience at your workplace and your interactions with both your higher-ups and coworkers.
A lot of people go through the motions at work every day without stopping to think about the workplace atmosphere and whether they are actually enjoying their time and being productive.
Here are some things to reflect upon as you think about your work environment.
Communication
How do people communicate with each other? Good communication at a workplace will come from the top down.
Are the higher-ups creating a system of communication that works for everyone? Are they creating effective channels that allow people to voice their complaints, ask questions, and ask colleagues for assistance and advice on pressing issues?
Do you feel comfortable asking questions? Or do you feel like your higher-ups might look down on you for not knowing how to do your job?
There should also be an anonymous communication channel in which employees can leave feedback and constructive criticism for management. This could be a box where people can drop papers or an anonymous online channel.
That would allow management to hear the concerns of people who are afraid to speak up out of fear of repercussions. It also shows that they take employee satisfaction seriously and want to make sure everyone has an outlet to voice their concerns.
Collaboration
How well do people collaborate with each other? Are you left to do stuff on your own, or do you get appropriate help, access to resources, and training while needed?
A culture of collaboration is critical if you want to get things done. Otherwise, you will be feeling frustrated and lonely all the time, as if you don’t get paid enough for what you do.
Good collaboration will also help you advance in your career, as you will be able to learn more on the job and get more done. If you are left to your own devices, the learning curve may be a lot more pronounced, and it can be harder to keep moving up the ranks.
Management Style
Management style is also a very important thing to consider. A good manager will guide you and correct you as needed, but also not be too overbearing.
Bad management can go to either extreme.
On the one hand, you might have a management team that leaves you all alone, not providing guidance or resources when you need them.
On the other extreme end, there are management teams that are very nitpicky. This is what people call micromanagement.
A good manager will give you space to develop your own ideas, try things out, and discover new strategies. They won’t be picky about every tiny thing or try to micromanage you every step of the way.
Workplace Culture
How’s the overall workplace culture? Some companies promote a more friendly, casual culture, while others prefer a more formal one.
It also depends on the industry.
There are certain things that are bad across the board in a workplace environment, regardless of the industry or size of the company.
For example, a culture of gossip, backstabbing, and disrespect is a big red flag. So is a culture of nepotism or playing “favorite employee.”
A good company culture will give you room to grow and allow you to feel free (not too free, of course, as they will hold you accountable for meeting your responsibilities).
Identifying Key Characteristics
After assessing and reflecting on your workplace environment, it’s time to identify the key characteristics that you think describe your workplace. These are the things that set your workplace apart from the others and make it unique – they are its most prominent features.
These are things you can use to describe your workplace environment best. Let’s go over some examples of possible characteristics that may define a workplace environment.
Supportive
Would you describe your workplace environment as supportive?
A supportive workplace environment gives you room to grow and express yourself. It allows you to speak your mind and voice your concerns while focusing on providing a good work-life balance.
If you constantly feel pressured and overworked, “supportive” most likely isn’t a word that you should be using to describe your workplace environment.
If you feel like you are constantly being micromanaged or criticized, without getting any real positive feedback about the work you are completing, I would not call that a supportive workplace environment either.
Competitive
A competitive workplace environment is one in which employees are constantly trying to be the best.
Competitiveness isn’t bad; in fact, it’s good, as it leads to increased productivity. However, it could get out of hand – for example, if employees are stabbing each other in the back or sabotaging each other’s progress due to their competitive nature, that’s not a good environment.
A non-competitive environment may be one in which employees are lazy and unmotivated. They don’t care about doing their best work and giving it their all.
Usually, it’s the management that will determine whether a workplace environment is competitive or not. If it provides incentives for employees who perform best, that’s more likely to promote a competitive environment.
It’s not just about incentives and rewards. It’s about recognition.
A good management team might have an employee of the month award, for example, or other forms of recognition for employees who apply themselves.
Innovative
An innovative workplace environment is one that comes up with new solutions to help employees progress and be more productive.
Innovative is a term often associated with startups in the tech sector rather than more traditional companies, which may be more set in their ways. If that’s what works for them, though, it’s okay – why fix something that isn’t broken?
Nevertheless, there are more modern approaches to ensuring employee satisfaction. Here are just some innovative approaches that a company might take:
- Providing flexible work hours instead of set hours that never change
- Allowing remote work or adopting a hybrid approach that requires employees to commute only once or twice a week
- Using technology to facilitate communication between coworkers
- Planning after-hours events, such as pizza night, to improve relationships between employees
Challenging
Is your workplace challenging you? Do you constantly feel pushed to be better and become a better version of yourself?
Or are higher-ups quite lackluster with their expectations?
A job might also not be challenging simply because you are overqualified for the position. This could quickly lead to boredom and feeling unfulfilled.
Also Read: Exit Interview Tips To Talk Out Bad Boss & Toxic Workplace
Demanding
Photo by energepic.com, Pexels
Challenging and demanding are two separate things. A job might be challenging if it requires you to think of new solutions to problems, even if you can take some time to think about them.
Meanwhile, a demanding job might require more hours, not allowing you any time to rest. The work itself might not be challenging, as you may know how to do everything, but you may still end up feeling burned out.
Fun
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
Fun isn’t a word that most people use to describe their jobs. Who likes working? Most people would rather stay at home and chill or do something that is actually fun, like going on a trip.
However, there are workplaces that are just fun to be in. Perhaps you and your co-workers really get along, or perhaps you simply love your job, what you do, and the challenge that the workplace provides you.
Also Read: Traits Toxic Bosses Have In Common
Rewarding
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
A workplace can be rewarding in many ways. It might give you a feeling of accomplishment, with higher-ups commending you on your achievements and ensuring you feel valued and needed.
Or, it might be rewarding because you get a chance to work on special projects or earn bonuses.
Fast-Paced
A fast-paced work environment isn’t necessarily good or bad. If there is enough time for breaks and rest, then it’s not bad, but if it’s too fast-paced for you to handle, and your employees are constantly pushing you beyond your limits without giving you a chance to collect yourself, it’s not good.
In any case, a fast-paced work environment is always a challenge, and being able to keep up demonstrates that you have the skills and discipline to be productive under pressure.
Flexible
Flexible workspaces provide you with room to maneuver. Perhaps they allow you to work from home, or perhaps they let you choose which projects to join.
You may even be able to adjust your working hours upon request. In general, a flexible workspace promotes a healthy work-life balance.
Also Read: Inspirational Teamwork Quotes For The Workplace
Rigid
On the other hand, a rigid work environment has very strict and inflexible rules. You may get no slack for coming late, even with a good excuse, and there may be no option to work from home.
You may also be unable to adjust your working hours, switch between projects, or select your own assignments.
Nurturing
A nurturing work environment goes a lot further than a “supportive” one. I would describe a nurturing work environment as one where the managers work closely with the newer employees, showing them the ropes hands-on and working diligently to ensure their success.
It goes beyond work-related stuff, though. In a nurturing workspace, employers and managers will work towards ensuring that their employees’ emotional needs are met and that they are satisfied.
Chaotic
Of course, you shouldn’t only consider positive words. There are plenty of negative words that may more accurately describe your work environment, and chaotic is probably one of the most common ones.
Some work environments are just pure chaos. There is mismanagement, nobody seems to know what is going on, and nobody is keeping track of who should be completing which assignments.
A chaotic workplace is hard to thrive in.
Also Read: HR Trigger Words – Things You Should Never Tell HR
Unethical
A workplace can also be unethical. For example, there may be a culture of sexual harassment, or there may be discriminatory policies in place (under the radar or not) that exclude certain marginalized groups, either from being hired altogether or from promotions.
Boring
Your workplace may also just be boring. Stagnant is a very similar word that may be used to describe a boring work environment, where nothing ever seems to be going on and nobody seems to be going anywhere.
Intimidating
Intimidating is a neutral word – it’s not good or bad. The work can be intimidating because it requires you to learn new skills or step out of your comfort zone and take control instead of blindly following orders. In that case, it’s a good thing.
However, it can also be intimidating if higher-ups constantly threaten you with consequences (or imply such consequences) for performance they deem inadequate. In that case, it’s not a good thing.
Also Read: Things That Scare HR
Choosing Three Words
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
Having a concise description of your work environment will help you when you want to compare your current work environment with another one you may potentially join.
It also helps you describe the work environment to your employer if they are interested in hearing your feedback and improving the overall work environment.
So, how can you go about choosing only three words to describe your work environment?
I recommend making a list of possible words to describe your work environment first. This can include some of the words that I already listed above, but you can also come up with your own words if you wish.
Then, rate each word on a scale of one to 10. For example, here’s a possible short list of words and potential ratings you might give your workplace environment:
- Supportive: 9/10
- Challenging: 7/10
- Fun: 6/10
- Exciting: 4/10
- Progressive: 8/19
- Diverse: 2/10
Make a longer list. This is just an example.
The next step is simply choosing the words that top the list. In the case of the list above, it would be supportive, challenging, and progressive.
If there are more than three words that rank high, choose the ones that you personally feel most accurately describe your workplace environment. If a friend or family member asked you what your day-to-day life is like, which words would you use most to give them the most accurate picture?
Also Read: Destructive Criticism Examples & How To Handle It?
Applying Your Three Words
Photo by Christina Morillo, Pexels
Now that you’ve come up with three words, it’s time to apply them.
Understanding your work environment can help you make better career decisions. Contrast the words that describe your work environment with the words that you would like to describe your ideal work environment.
For example, perhaps you would prefer a work environment that is challenging, fun, and innovative, but the three words that best describe your current environment are demanding, strict, and boring.
Another thing to consider is whether your current workplace is conducive to your overall career growth. A challenging work environment might be, but a fun work environment might not be.
A fun work environment might be very laid back, and you may enjoy spending time chatting with your coworkers, but it might be easy to get comfortable there.
To progress in your career, though, you need a challenge, and you need to get out of your comfort zone and avoid staying stagnant, no matter how comfortable it might be.
You can also use these three words to leverage new opportunities. For example, if you’re applying for a new job, you are very likely to be asked why you want to leave your current one.
You can then explain that you can’t describe the workplace as challenging and that you are looking for a work culture that will challenge you and push you to your limits.
It’s also possible to leverage it as a good thing. For example, you can say that your workplace environment is very challenging, which makes you a good fit for the new job, no matter how challenging they say it is.
Conclusion
Being able to accurately describe your work environment is critical to your growth.
This is especially true if it is your first job, and you don’t have that much experience working in different types of environments.
Being able to accurately assess your workplace culture and condense the description into just three words will help you understand if you are satisfied in your position or if it’s time to start looking elsewhere.
