How to Make Sure Your Next Employer is a Good One

Employees and job candidates around the country are FED UP with their employers. (Yes, all caps. So, shoot me.)

They’re leaving their current employers in droves -- you no doubt know that November saw the greatest number of people leave their jobs in the U.S. ever – or they’re not even looking for work because they’re worried about getting sick, are taking care of ill family members, are raising children, or many other reasons.

But the ire U.S. workers feel toward employers right now is palpable.

It’s been so for a while, and deservedly so, as employers truly have taken advantage of far too many employees for far too long. I don’t need to go into detail: those particulars have been in front of us for years.

?A lot of this poor treatment of employees occurs in toxic workplaces and emanates from toxic bosses.

It appears toxicity is everywhere: I saw an article at HRMorning in July that said 25% of employees reported a “high level of toxicity in their workplace,” while a third of them said their work environment is “moderately toxic.”

Making sure your next employer is not toxic

How can you ensure that the job offer you accept is at a place that’s a decent – or even great – place to work?

I’ve read additional articles lately, mostly from The Wall Street Journal and CNN, that offer tips on how to ensure you don’t accept a job you’ll regret. I relay some of their advice below, as well as my own.

• ?? Vet the company thoroughly.

Look at employee reviews at Glassdoor and Indeed. Yes, companies do ask their current employees – the happy ones, most likely – to review them, but unhappy workers also give their opinions there, too.

Google “news about [Name of Company]” and see what comes up. You may not find much, but you may find a news release or even regular news article about it.

• ????Ask about employee attrition.

This suggestion comes from The Wall Street Journal and it stuck me as a “slap to the forehead/OF COURSE you should ask it” type of question.

A lot of folks leaving of their own volition can be a major red flag. Not only because it’s a sign of a toxic workplace but also because the more people leave, the more recruiters and hiring managers must hire and it can take long weeks or even months before replacements start (if they can even be found).

Which means the folks who are left – and that soon enough could include you – to pick up the slack and probably do more than they were hired to do. That, as you know, can be a huge strain on workers.

(I’m sure you get my drift.)

• ??? Does the recruiter/hiring manager appear really, really, EAGER to bring you on?

Also, from WSJ: is the hiring manger so happy to get you onboard that they might – even a bit – come across as desperate? Eager and excited to hire you is one thing. Asking you if you can start in two weeks flat (or even sooner) and looking downtrodden or stressed if you say you need more time, is a potential sign you could be overwhelmed with work – and stress, accompanied by high expectations as to output – as soon as you begin.

• ????Listen carefully to how they talk.

Specifically (this tip comes from CNN), do they talk about the quality of work or its quantity?

This type of talk can tell you how the company as a whole – and certainly your manager – feels about work-life balance.

• ??? People can – and do – lie. (Or at least fudge the truth.)

Your hiring manager/recruiter may be savvy enough to paint a rosier picture of a company’s work-life balance as they know it’s important to many candidates right now.

They may not feel they are lying outright, but they may couch the lack of work/life balance or the fact that the company has something of a toxic culture with words or phrases such as:

1. ??“We work hard and play hard.”
2. ?? “My team knows they can count on me to reply to any emails or calls at any time.” (If a manager says this, you can pretty much know that they expects the same of their team members.)

• Ask to speak with current team members.

You can ask to do this after you’re offered the position, but you also may be able to do so before they make a decision.

They will likely have some current team members already lined up to do so. These folks will have been vetted by the company to ensure that they’re happy with the employer and will talk it up to you.

There’s nothing wrong with this tactic. Just be sure to ask those employees if any of their co-workers would be interested because you may find a different perspective with them.

Even if the current team members with whom you work do sing the company’s praises, don’t be afraid to ask them about what they don’t like about working there, what would be the #1 thing they would change about the work environment, etc. What do they know now that they’d wish they’d known before they started?

Now it’s your turn to help job candidates out: what do YOU wish you’d asked or known about before you started working at a company that turned out to be toxic?

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