# Can you avoid difficult conversations by choosing the right company?

- **Episode:** [137](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/137.md) (2024-10-17)
- **Type:** panel-interview
- **Tags:** difficult-conversations, job-search, company-culture
- **Time:** 42:59–45:27 (start 2579s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/137?t=2579](https://truthliesandwork.com/137?t=2579)

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[42:59] Leanne Elliott: So far, we've talked about how to have difficult conversations, but can you actually avoid them altogether if an organization is more aligned to your values?
[43:08] Liz Bronson: We also, in both the UK and here, there's free choice. I don't have to work. I'll just say, I don't have to work for Elon Musk if I don't choose to apply to those jobs or choose to go for those jobs. Right? At the same time, I don't have to work for Planned Parenthood either. This isn't a place where I'm assigned a workplace and I have no choice. So leaders, if they don't want to be inclusive, they have the right to do that. And I have the right not to work there
[43:41] Experts Kathleen Troyer: That's where doing research upfront on the company you're choosing to work for is so essential. Because you want to make sure your values are aligned with the company values. And you want to ask questions in the interview. And we have several episodes on our podcast, Real Job Talk, that address those type of things
[44:00] Liz Bronson: Research where does the company donate to. Often you can see that. There are places that if they're donating to certain places, I'm not interested, especially as an HR person upholding culture. But okay. That's your choice, but you don't get to choose to work with me
[44:17] Leanne Elliott: How does that impact inclusion though? Because then are we going to get then certain types of people that are going to now, you know, now get certain types of companies and then in itself create divide? Are we going to have liberal companies and conservative companies?
[44:30] Experts Kathleen Troyer: Leanne, I think that it's not necessarily a black and white. I think that there's so much gray here, um, but certainly in, in the US, there are, there are companies that are known for being very conservative. And there are companies that are known for being very liberal. And there are companies that maybe are more in the middle. And I think that, again, that comes down to choice and doing your research beforehand. I think that remembering we have choice helps us. We are all CEOs of our own career and our own lives. And being clear who we are and making sure that we are working for a company that at least appears to be aligned with our values is going to be helpful. And asking questions about what's the company's stance on psychological safety? That's okay to ask. Find out what initiatives they do because that can tell you a lot about a company