It’s job recruiting season on campuses across the country, and as you weigh your options for your first job, you’re likely considering factors like industry, role, compensation, and career trajectory. But one crucial aspect that often goes overlooked is organisational structure – a factor that can significantly shape your experience at work.
Organizational structure determines how responsibilities are distributed, how decisions are made, and how efficiently a company operates. Traditionally, businesses have followed a pyramid structure, where multiple layers of management create a clear hierarchy. However, while this system is the most popular and sought-after organizational format, it can also slow down decision-making with layers of approvals and bureaucracy.
On the other end is the flat organisational system, which removes unnecessary managerial layers, ultimately accelerating project timelines and career progression. Once primarily associated with startups and smaller businesses, this approach is now gaining traction among major corporations. Multinationals like Amazon, Google, and Meta are laying off middle management in efforts to become more efficient.
Increasingly, the hierarchical approach is now taking a backseat as organisations explore the working of flattened workplaces. As a job seeker, you need to look at what it really means for your role and career aspirations.
Here’s how you can make the most out of the experience:
1. Get comfortable with ambiguity
We’re conditioned to think of “climbing the corporate ladder” as how to advance in our careers and feel a sense of accomplishment or growth. But in a flat organization, growth isn’t just vertical, it’s also horizontal. This can raise uncertainty as individuals deal with questions of role stability, long-term progression, and career goals.
Tata Motors’ Gajendra Chandel states, “We did not want our people to simply believe in chimney growth but rather look beyond and seek cross-functional exposure and real growth that is both vertical and horizontal.” This means career progression isn’t just about titles – it’s about broadening your skill set, taking ownership of projects, and making an impact. Instead of waiting for a promotion, focus on developing expertise, expanding your influence, and creating meaningful impact.
2. Seek Out Opportunities and Mentors
Without a formal chain of command, mentorship won’t always be handed to you—it’s something you’ll need to proactively seek out. Build relationships with peers and senior colleagues, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from those around you.
Take Morning Star, for example. They have no managers. No one reports to a boss—employees report to each other. Their work is based on CLOUs (Colleague Letters of Understanding), agreements they create themselves. Thus, they’ve created a system built on trust, accountability, and learning from those around you—something you can apply anywhere.
3. Define Your Own Goals
In an unstructured environment, it is up to you to chart your own path. Authority is not determined by your job titles but rather by what you bring to the table. Whirlpool took this idea to the next level by replacing traditional job titles with four types of leadership roles that every employee fits into, making leadership about impact, not hierarchy.
The best way to stand out in such a setup is to build expertise and prove your competence. As you get started, think about where you want to go, what skills you’ll need to get there, and how you can align your goals with the needs of the company.
4. Build Consensus
A flat structure often provides greater autonomy in making decisions. At most, decisions are made collaboratively with other team members which means that you’re not only accountable for your work, but also for bringing people together, negotiating differing viewpoints, and moving projects forward.
For example, at Valve, employees have the liberty to freely choose the projects they want to work on and convince others to join in. Similarly, Deepinder Goyal redefined Zomato’s leadership structure by stating “We are transitioning from a company where I was the CEO to a place where we will have multiple CEOs running each of our businesses…all acting as peers to each other.”
Success in a flat hierarchy comes down to how you show up at work. Your ability to navigate ambiguity, seek mentorship and make your work visible will determine your growth and impact in such an environment.