5 Signs to Help You Avoid Bad Employers
Signs to Help You Avoid Bad Employers
If someone suggested to me that I should avoid bad employers in a tight job market, I tell them that they were crazy. Most people are looking to get hired at any cost. If this is you, that’s understandable. However, take a few moments and consider the implications of making a costly decision and perhaps think back on a less than pleasurable job experience that you may have had in the past. Most of the time, you will agree that it simply wasn’t worth it. Doing a bit of leg work ahead of time could have possibly saved you a lot of grief and left you open to another, much better, opportunity that was just around the corner.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American spends 7.5 hours a day on the job. Over time, that’s a big chunk of your life that you could be devoting to a miserable existence if you walk into the wrong work environment. It for just this reason that you want to be certain that the organization that you go to work for is as good a fit for you as you are for them and you’ll need to do some research to make sure that they don’t have some serious skeletons in their closet. In addition to the things that you can find out from research, there are other warning signs that a company may not be a happy place to work. Here’s what you should take a look at:
Tips to Avoid Bad Employers
- The non-professionals – If your treatment during the hiring process isn’t professional, or even rude, take this as a clue as to how you will be treated as an employee. If your questions are not answered or answered with an
air of superiority, consider taking your search elsewhere. - General unhappiness – Usually, in the hiring process, you will get a look at the facility and at least be able to walk through and see some of the other employees. Observe very carefully and note whether or not those people seem happy in their work and are working as a team. If they seem put off to be there, afraid of management and wary of you, this is not a good sign.
- Bad Reputation – The internet is a wonderful thing and we get get a lot of information about a company online these days from news stories and social media. There is a great story on the Huffington Post on the many Google searches that you can do on a prospective company to find out more about them and avoid bad employers. You can find that article here.
- Unclear Job Duties – If the job duties and responsibilities of the position that you are interviewing for are unclear, this is a sure sign of disorganization and lack of communication within the company. Don’t put yourself in a position of walking into a job having no idea what is expected of you.
- That Feeling – You know that “feeling”. It’s that sixth sense we develop and learn to trust. Sometimes we just “click” with a hiring manager and things go very smoothly. Other times, something tells you to run and don’t look back. Trust your gut when you interview, tour and meet with people in a company. Just because they may be very interested in you, doesn’t mean that this is the ideal place for you. You ultimately want to get into a job situation that is going to last, not be right back out there pounding the pavement in another few months or weeks.
It’s not that difficult to avoid bad employers if you know what to look for. In the end, be sure to make an educated and informed decision about your next work opportunity so that it is a good fit for both parties.
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