Say Yes to the Desk: How to Gauge a Company's Culture
How to spot a toxic workplace before you accept a new job.
Before diving into how to assess workplace toxicity, it's important to understand why this matters. Accepting a job in a toxic environment can have a severe impact on your mental and physical health, productivity, and overall well-being. Toxic workplaces are often characterised by excessive stress, poor management, unclear roles, and a lack of support. These factors can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, and a significant decline in job performance, ultimately affecting your career trajectory and personal life.
The Right Mindset Before a Job Interview
When attending a job interview, it is important to go in with a clear head. Too often, people get their hopes up about a job and start dreaming about how great it would be to work at a particular company or in a particular role. Instead, focus on learning the right information to determine if you are a fit for that organisation. Keep your emotions in check and approach the interview with an open mind. Remember, a job interview is a two-way street—you are also evaluating whether this company is a good match for you.
With that in mind, let’s begin with how you can strategically assess whether or not you should accept a job offer from a particular company.
Guide to Acquiring Reliable Information About a Company
1. Research the Company
Company Website: Start with the company’s official website. Look for their mission statement, values, and employee benefits. Red flags here would include things like a lack of diversity, clear focus on profits over employee well-being, broken links or an outdated website that might speak to more systemic problems in the company. Values that seem generic or have not been updated in years might indicate a lack of genuine commitment to those principles. If the website focuses more on perks like free snacks, ping pong tables, or happy hours rather than substantive benefits like career development and work-life balance, it might be masking deeper issues. Lots of flashy photos and videos without substantial content about employee development and support systems can be a red flag.
Social Media Accounts: Check out the company’s presence on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Glassdoor. Pay attention to how they communicate with their followers and what their online reputation looks like.
News Articles: Search for any recent news articles about the company. This can give you insights into the company's financial stability, scandals, or any major changes happening within the organization. Also, pay attention to how they address negative stories about them in the press. Ignoring bad press could indicate a lack of transparency.
Ask your network if they know anyone who works at the company or has worked there in the past. Reach out to these individuals and ask them about their experience working there. Be sure to ask specific questions.
Glassdoor and Indeed: Use these platforms to read employee reviews. Pay attention to recurring themes, especially those related to management style, work-life balance, and company culture.
article continues after advertisement
2. Leverage LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for uncovering insights about a company's work environment and employee turnover rate. Look for patterns in employee profiles, such as short tenures or a high number of employees leaving at the same time.
Company Page: Visit the company's LinkedIn page to see updates, employee posts, and company news. This can provide valuable context about the company's culture.
Job Postings: Analyze job postings to understand the roles and responsibilities expected. Frequent reposting of the same positions may indicate high turnover.
Employee Profiles: Look at profiles of current and former employees. Notice how long people typically stay at the company and the career progression they experience while there.
Networking on LinkedIn
Connections: Connect with people who currently work or have previously worked at the company. Send a polite and professional message asking for their insights.
Alumni Tool: Use LinkedIn’s alumni tool to find people from your alma mater who have worked at the company. They may be more inclined to offer candid advice.
Groups: Join industry-related LinkedIn groups where employees might share experiences about different companies.
3. Conduct Informational Interviews
Speak directly with current or former employees. Here are some questions to ask:
Work Environment: "Can you describe a typical day at the company?"
Management Style: "How would you characterize the management style here?"
Company Culture: "What’s the company culture like? Are there any unspoken rules?"
Support Systems: "What kind of support does the company provide for professional development and work-life balance?"
Turnover Rate: "Do you feel there’s a high turnover rate? If so, why do you think that is?"
4. Use Social Media Platforms
Facebook and Twitter: Check the company’s social media presence for employee engagement and public interactions. Notice how the company responds to comments and feedback.
Reddit: Search for threads or posts discussing the company. Anonymous platforms can sometimes reveal more honest opinions.
5. Analyze Job Offer Details
Compensation and Benefits: Evaluate the offered salary, benefits, and perks against industry standards.
Work-Life Balance: Inquire about flexible working hours, remote work options, and vacation policies.
Career Growth: Ask about potential for advancement and professional development opportunities.
6. Observe During the Interview Process
Pay attention to the following cues during your interview:
Office Atmosphere: Notice the general mood and energy of the office environment.
Interactions: Observe how current employees interact with each other and with you.
Transparency: Gauge the transparency and honesty of your interviewers when you ask probing questions about challenges and turnover.
Some important questions for you to ask in the interview include :
- "What do you enjoy most about working here?
- "Can you tell me about the company culture and values?"
- "How does the company support professional development for its employees?"
- "What challenges have you faced while working here and how has the company responded to them?"
- "Tell me about your ideal candidate for this role?"
Gauge their reaction to your answers. In one interview I once had, they mentioned a big project that they were working on. I replied that I had expertise in that area and had done a similar project elsewhere. I described what I had accomplished in a previous role and asked if there would be interest in including me in that initiative. The interviewer pursed her lips and changed the subject. I ended up withdrawing my application from consideration. This was a major red flag for me as it showed that the company was not interested in utilizing my skills and experience.
Conclusion
Thoroughly researching a company before an interview can help you make informed decisions about your career. It also shows that you are proactive, detail-oriented, and genuinely interested in the position.
Identifying a toxic work environment before accepting a job offer is pivotal to safeguarding your mental and physical health, productivity, and overall well-being.
By leveraging online resources, conducting thorough research, and asking insightful questions, you can make an informed decision about your potential future workplace.
Remember, a job should not only advance your career but also contribute positively to your quality of life. Taking the time to assess a company's culture and work environment can save you from the detrimental effects of a toxic job and set you on a path to a fulfilling and productive career.