After just six weeks in his new job following months of unemployment, Andrew voluntarily resigned. It sure wasn’t what he had expected to happen! Yet, here he was; walking away from a job where from day one he felt excluded.

He could remember his first day well. It started badly with his manager confiding that she had gone against her judgement in hiring him. He was older, more experienced and a man to boot in what she referred to as “The Sisterhood”.

Andrew was taken aback by her candour, yet excited by the challenge this represented in turning around her perceptions. His eagerness to learn was stymied though, as his “trainer” devoted more of her workday to Facebook, texting and Twitter than in training him. Andrew became increasingly frustrated. What was he supposed to do? Everyone was doing their own thing and he was being kept in the dark.

Worse was to come. In his second week, Andrew was called to the manager’s office. His work colleagues had raised doubts about his ability to fit in and suggested he was struggling within the unstructured work environment.

Andrew was shocked, betrayed and angry that his work colleagues should question his experience, particularly as he had shared nothing of his struggles, nor his distaste for the lack of work being done. On the defensive, Andrew immediately raised concerns about the lack of training and the overwhelming interest exhibited by his trainer in maintaining her Facebook account. He was shocked when these revelations were met with a disinterested shrug and assurance of his work colleague’s expertise and value.

From that point, Andrew was unable to gain traction. Left out of department discussions and still without training, he resigned demoralised and confused. Andrew felt bitter about the experience and apportioned blame on everyone from the manager, to his trainer and Gen Y staff.

What had happened?

First, the manager failed to explain to Andrew how the workplace operated, the environment and culture of the department, and the personalities of the staff he would be joining. Her concerns voiced that she hired him against her judgement were far from helpful and came too late—after the decision to hire had been made. Being transparent and providing insight could have saved Andrew six weeks of gut-wrenching disappointment and blows to his confidence, and saved the company time and money.

But Andrew also failed. So keen was he at interview to be accepted and end the unemployment drought, Andrew neglected to ascertain whether the role was the right one for him and whether it was the type of environment where he could flourish. It is not just about having the requisite skills to do the job. A job is so much more than that. It is about getting along well and relating to others, enjoying the way the workplace operates and understanding how people communicate.

It’s a hard lesson to learn.

When it comes down to it, most of us just can’t “take anything” to get a job or if we do, it will be more like good luck than good planning that will make it work successfully long term.

If Andrew had asked the right questions at interview, or had the manager volunteered the information that this was a young team, expert at multi-skilling in an environment where it was expected people would research the job, be self-starters and seek work out in return for certain freedoms to do their own thing, Andrew would have understood and could have adapted his work style. He would have understood that his “trainer” was checking her Facebook while answering work emails on her Blackberry. Andrew didn’t know that his colleague had accomplished more in ten minutes than Andrew had waiting for someone to buddy-up and train him all day!

Instrumental to anyone’s success on the job is fitting in. If you know yourself well and know how you like to work, then instead of just wanting to be liked at interview and win the job, try to find if it is the job for you first by asking:

• What type of environment is this? Is it structured or unstructured?
• Do people do their own thing and have cross-over roles, or are a strict list of duties completed every day?
• Is the person who is training me there to sit beside me and “buddy” with me until I learn the job or is she there to help by providing background to my research?
• How would you characterise the people and culture in this department?
• What are your expectations for me in this role? How do you envisage I work with others?

If the answers are not what you want to hear, then you can do two things. Ask to have your candidacy withdrawn or if you’re financially unable to be selective and you think you can adapt, then do so rather than expect the people to adapt to you.

By asking a few simple questions at interview, you won’t be taken by surprise.

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