Is a Company’s True Culture Only Revealed After You Join? How can I have glimpses of it before joining?

Is it really possible to understand how a company is doing—and what its culture is actually like—before you join? Or do these things only become clear after you’ve spent some time inside the organisation?

When I talk about “company culture,” I don’t just mean how friendly people are. I’m also thinking about the less visible things, like systems and processes, organisational structure, clarity of roles, and basic workplace hygiene such as onboarding, communication, and quality control.

I’m asking this because of my recent experience as a marketing intern at a startup integrated marketing agency, which made me realise how much of this is hard to see from the outside.

For context, I was hired without a formal interview—just a short call to confirm administrative details like citizenship and work eligibility. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. The role sounded exciting, and since it was an “integrated” agency, I assumed there would be solid systems, experienced leadership, and good learning opportunities.

However, after joining, I started feeling burnt out and started noticing patterns that felt off—many of which I only recognised as red flags after talking to more experienced colleagues. For example, onboarding was minimal, with only about an hour of orientation and little structured training or handover. There was also high turnover, with several colleagues (including senior ones) joining and leaving within short periods.

Communication was often unclear and abstract, with an assumption that everyone understood expectations unless questions were raised. As a junior team member, I struggled to know what questions to ask or how much responsibility I was actually expected to take on. I was also quickly thrown into high-stakes work for major clients with limited guidance, which led to mistakes and tension.

On top of that, the work environment often felt uncomfortable. While I understand the need for professionalism, I frequently felt like I was walking on eggshells rather than working in a supportive or psychologically safe space. I also heard from colleagues that they felt underpaid for the workload they were handling. Some processes that could have been automated were still very manual, which raised questions about resourcing and financial priorities. One colleague who is leaving soon also shared concerns about recent restructuring decisions, saying they didn’t reflect how an agency typically operates.

Looking back, what stood out most was the gap between the job description and the reality. On paper, it looked like a standard marketing internship, but there was no real way to tell what the internal culture, structure, or level of support would be like before joining.

So my questions are:
- Are there meaningful ways to assess a company’s real culture and operational health before joining?
- What signs or questions should candidates, especially students or early-career professionals, pay attention to?
- What aspects of a company are realistically only discoverable after joining, and how should job seekers weigh that uncertainty when making decisions?