According to the US Department of Labor, the average employed adult spends 7.5 hours a day on the job. Over time, that adds up to a significant chunk of your life, so (as many people know from experience) an unhappy work situation can make the rest of your life pretty miserable as well.
For that reason, you'll want to avoid working for a miserable company. But how can you spot a bad company to work for? By doing your research and looking for the following seven warning signs during the hiring process.
- Communication with you is unprofessional or disrespectful. Your treatment during the hiring process is a clue as to how you'll be treated as an employee.
- The recruiters and hiring managers actively distrust you. Just as you don't want to make a bad career move, employers don't want to make a bad hire--so expect a background check and reference check. These checks should all be carried out in a non-accusatory manner.
- The workplace seems unhappy. You shouldn't take a job without paying a visit to where you'll be working. Note the attitudes and interactions of the workers there as well as the overall environment.
- The company has a bad reputation. The Internet makes it easy to find out what former and current employees have to say about a company. Doing your research into this aspect of an employer should be part of how you prepare for a job interview.
- You don't think you'll get along with your boss or colleagues. Be sure to discuss work styles and communication styles with the hiring manager to make sure they are at least compatible with yours.
- The job's duties are unclear, or your interviewer can't define what success in the role will look like. After you have interviewed with one or two people, you should have a clear idea of how your job performance will be measured and what your key objectives will be in your first few months on the job.
- They want to hire you right away, without any interviewing or reference checks. Desperation on the employer's part can be a danger sign. In the hiring process, recruiters and managers often rely (at least a little bit) on their "gut" when making decisions about candidates. Trust your gut, too. If it doesn't feel right, do a bit more research before accepting a job offer.
