Career | GPTW (Great Place to Work) & WPTW (Worst Place to Work)

A career should always be based on what the professional desires for their life, and from there, whether using a formal plan or an idea pursued as a goal, materialize this objective.

Leaving this responsibility to someone else, such as parents, spouse, boss, or third parties; or even to the organization they work for or provide services to, is a very high risk of not following what is desired and only fulfilling what external entities have defined for the professional's life.

Given this concept of career management, when defining a goal and eventually a plan, it is up to the professional to enter the job market (if they do not go the path of entrepreneurship, which we will not address here). And for this, there is usually a mutual search between those who offer opportunities and those who seek them, and by combining the interests of both sides, a professional relationship is established.

Companies may approach professionals for certain desired positions in order to fulfill the demands set by their managers, and under the responsibility of the Recruitment and Selection area, selection processes are carried out with people who are approached or attracted by the opportunity.

On the professional's side, the practice is to research, based on their aspirations, opportunities, and organizations that offer conditions to satisfy these objectives along with other factors, such as the financial aspect.

In any case, as Max Gheringer has already said, three factors are crucial in choosing a job opportunity: Environment, perspective, and remuneration.

The order of these items should vary according to each professional and their stage of life, but it is said that at least two of these three aspects should be positive when considering accepting a job offer, considering that:

• The environment should be healthy and non-toxic, providing quality of life and minimum conditions of coexistence so that work can be done without causing any disturbance or even illness to those who are part of this circle
• Perspective points to achievable paths, preferably using meritocracy, which can be achieved, improving conditions of collaboration, learning, recognition, finances, benefits, and fulfillment
• Remuneration is the most obvious component and is usually the most considered, as it is the source of obtaining everything we consume, but it ends up making people more susceptible to tolerate toxic environments or lack of perspective in exchange for immediate gains

Therefore, how to identify these aspects when evaluating an organization before applying or accepting an invitation?

The traditional way is to research from institutional information to testimonials from employees, former employees, and the involved community. However, nowadays there are institutions that conduct surveys and classify corporations as a good or bad place to develop a career - the so-called GPTW (Great Place to Work).

GPTW

This seal is awarded after organizations go through a research process and, mainly, with (anonymous) reports from employees regarding various aspects that, according to its organizers, determine and respond to this question, making life easier for professionals in the market. Here are the main aspects evaluated:

• Organizational Culture: Evaluates the quality of the work environment, the authenticity of leadership, the sense of purpose, and shared values
• Trust: Trust between employees and leadership, as well as among coworkers, is fundamental. This can be assessed through organizational climate surveys and interviews
• Credibility: Credibility refers to trust in leadership, resource management, policies, and transparent communication
• Respect: How employees are treated, equal opportunities, and respect for diversity and inclusion are crucial aspects
• Cooperation: The presence of a collaborative spirit and teamwork within the organization is valued
• Pride: Employees should feel proud of the work they do and the organization they work for
• Benefits and Rewards: Quality of benefits, compensation, and recognition, among other topics considered of interest to employees
• Professional Development: Career development opportunities, training, and continuous learning are important to keep employees engaged and satisfied

These criteria may vary depending on the specific GPTW evaluation methodology at a given time, but they generally reflect key factors that contribute to an excellent work environment, giving professionals the ability to assess an organization broadly and without necessarily needing prior experience in that environment.

However, there is, of course, the counterpoint to this research, and although chaotic and without scientific or even ethical foundation: the so-called WPTW (Worst Place to Work).

WPTW

Being the opposite of GPTW, here it is determined which are the worst companies that a professional can have the misfortune of being a part of. This is based on reports from employees, former employees (almost always anonymously or disguised) who use various channels to express what they go through or have gone through and how it affected their lives - serving as a true repellent for good professionals to these companies.

Although it is decentralized, not organized, not official, and even unethical, more and more professionals are informed about it to balance the pros and cons of an environment before entering a process or even a concrete opportunity, and among the various topics addressed, below is an overview that is most relevant in this type of research:

• Lack of transparency and inadequate communication
• Authoritarian or ineffective leadership
• Culture of blame and punishment
• Lack of professional development opportunities
• Poor working conditions
• Discrimination or harassment in the workplace
• Unfair compensation and benefits policies and practices
• Lack of recognition and reward for good performance
• Competitive and hostile work environment among colleagues
• High employee turnover rate

Companies identified as Worst Places to Work generally struggle to attract and retain talent, face productivity issues, and may even face legal issues due to improper workplace practices.

So pay attention to environments with a high turnover rate, very aggressive salaries, and highly challenging goals. Although these last two aspects are highly tempting, they can (but it's not a rule) hide a toxic environment that only consumes the intelligence and health of the professional, discarding them as they can no longer keep up with this frenetic pace and refuse to continuously sacrifice their health and quality of life.

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