A definition of the socialization process and a brief start to how that may occur at Buzzfeed

1. Buzzfeed
Socialization
Maddie Horvath

2. “Interview Insider: How to Get Hired at Buzzfeed”
by Heather Wood
 Buzzfeed is a well-known online social news
organizations and is constantly growing.
 Although Buzzfeed uses credible news sources, it is
always known for a sense of humor and silliness in
articles, web quizzes, and events.
 The following article answers questions about
Buzzfeed’s culture while interviewing Joel Greengrass,
senior vice president of talent.

3. (Article continued)
 Qualities that he looks for in candidates are people
willing to work with others and collaborate, but also
people who have strong leadership skills and can solve a
problem on their own.
 Surprisingly, when the article was written the company
had hired one person a day for the past 5 months.
Buzzfeed continues to grow today.
 Typical questions asked in an interview include, why
they chose Buzzfeed and where they see themselves in
the company.

4. (Article Continued)
 Joel discusses internships offered for college students
and fellowship programs in almost any position.
 Interns experience all positions and aspects of the
company to see where they best fit in.
 To summarize, Joel Greengrass states that those
wanting a job for Buzzfeed must be well-prepared in an
interview to know what position they want at the
company and why they want it.

5. Phases of Socialization
 Anticipatory Phase
 Socialization process that occurs before an individual
enters and organization
 Learning about work in general, then learning about the
workings of a particular organization.
 We start by learning about the concept of work in general,
then we learn about specific careers and occupations.
 Lastly, we focus on a specific occupation and learn
specifically about organizations within that field.

6. Phases of Socialization
 Encounter Phase
 When an employee first encounters a job
 A newcomer relies on predispositions, past experiences,
and interpretations of others.
 Can involve formal learning, such as orientations and
training, and informal learning, such as conversations with
coworkers.
• Metamorphosis Phase
• Final stage when employee becomes an insider
• Becomes an accepted, participating member and has
learned the values and beliefs of the company.

7. Recruiting and Interviewing
 One of the initial parts of socialization is the interview
process
 It can be used as a screening tool, an information-
gathering tool, and a socialiation tool.
 The interviewer is using it to evaluate the quality of
recruits, the applicant uses it to find out more about
the organization, and an interview can serve to ease a
newcomer’s adaptation to the organization should he or
she be hired.

8. What does this article have to do
with socialization?
 Learning about the interview process through Joel
Greengrass helps in the anticipatory phase of
socialization.
 Once deciding an organization, it is important to learn
about the organization and prepare for the interview.

9. What does this article have to do
with socialization?
1. First, we read that Joel Greengrass looks for a
willingness to work with others while also showing
leadership qualities in possible applicants.
2. Second,this is an important thing to learn about the
organization through the anticipatory phase of
socialization
3. Finally, after understanding this concept, it helps a
future applicant to understand the values and beliefs
of the company, helping them in the enocunter phase
of socialization during their own interview.

10. What does this Article have to
with socialization?
1. Joel Greengrass discusses what applicants should know
about the company before applying, including how the
company started and what they’re all about.
2. This information can be researched before an
interview as part of anticipatory socialization.
3. Once in the actual interview, you would discuss what
you found and be considered for the job, moving you
on to the encounter phase.

11. So, you got an interview…
 Now that we’ve gathered a clear understanding of the
organization, we’ve gone through the anticipatory phase
of socialization
 Next, is the encounter phase which begins with the
interview.
 Let’s take what we’ve learned about Buzzfeed from the
article, what we know about socialization, and prepare
interview questions and answers!

12. Possible Interview Questions
 Tell me about your experience with Buzzfeed as a
consumer?
 Were there any articles or quizzes that spoke to you or
stood out to you specifically?
 What exactly do you see yourself doing in our
organization?
 Why do you feel Buzzfeed is the best place for you to do
that?
 Have you ever gone to a supervisor for feedback? What
did you learn from it?

13. Do’s and Don’ts of interview
questions YOU should ask
 DO: What will my position here look like in 12 months?
 DO: How can I continue to contribute to the growth of
the company?
 DO: What do you find most unique about Buzzfeed’s
culture?
 DON’T: What perks do employees get in the office?
 DON’T: What does the salary look like and how often or
common does that change?

14. So, you got the job!
 Congratulations! You nailed the interview and landed
yourself a job at Buzzfeed.
 Now let’s look at the culture, values, and beliefs of the
company in order to further our socialization process in
the encounter phase.
 According to their website, “Buzzfeed is the leading
media company for the social age, intensely focused on
delivering high-quality original reporting, insight, and
viral content across a rapidly expanding array of subject
areas.”

15. So, you got the job!
 According to glassdoor reviews the company has:
 Cool employee perks, such as ocassional free lunches
 Smart and progressive coworkers
 Interesting technical challenges
 Fun atmosphere with creative freedom
• The company however lacks in:
• Clear instruction
• Consistent expectations
• Experience outside of Buzzfeed role
• Managing the rapid growth of employees

16. The rest is up to you!
 Now that you’ve gone through the anticipatory stage of
socialization and began the encounter phase, all that’s
left is to begin your job at Buzzfeed and continue to
grow and become part of the culture.
 Before you know it, you’ll be past the metamorphosis
stage of socialization and become a full fledge member
of the company. Good luck!

17. Works Cited
 "BuzzFeed Reviews." Glassdoor. Glassdoor, Inc. Web. 03
Mar. 2016.
 Rudulph, Heather. "Interview Insider: How to Get Hired
at BuzzFeed." Cosmopolitan. Hearst Communications,
2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.
 Miller, Katherine. Organizational Communication:
Approaches and Processes. Stamford, CT: Wadsworth
Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.