Being stuck in a toxic work environment is the last place that you want to stuck. Nobody wants to be a disgruntled employee. An awful work-life can seep into your every moment of existence.
Avoid and screen out any harmful work environments and toxic companies is easy and it starts off simple.
1) Do Your Homework.
Go online and look at the reviews. Glassdoor is a great place to look or any job rating website. This will be one of the best indicators. Don’t be fooled if there is a glowing review with a bunch of bad ones following. Internal HR reviews can often look to cheat the system. As well, one angry employee can write a pretty harsh letter so don’t go by just a singular complaint. Always check for multiple complaints.
2) Ask Around.
Look on LinkedIn for any connections and ask as many questions as possible.
How long have you been working there? Do you recommend working there? Do you want to stay? What is the turnaround rate? What is good and what is negative?
3) At the interview.
Pay attention to your surroundings. Things to look for:
- Do people in the office look relaxed and happy? If people look tired, sad, and are slouched over, you might be next.
- Is there enough room between individual workspaces or is it stacked with as many workers as they can possibly fit into one cramped room? Open-air environments that companies are trying to sell as a more social environment are akin to cheap “sweatshop” environments.
- Are there ample windows? Is it dark or beaming with fluorescent lighting? Working in the dark or under bright fluorescent lights will take a toll on your wellbeing and your eyes so try to avoid at all costs.
4) During the interview.
- Does it seem like the interviewer read your resume?
- If there are multiple interviews, are they all consistent? If not it could point to an unorganized company.
- Have they asked you about overtime and your willingness to participate? This is a sign that there will be lots of overtime that may or may not have pay.
Do your best and look for these small but important red flags. Your career, your health, and your future rely on you being happy. It is easy to say okay and work for a toxic company but at the end of the working day, it is never worth it. You will always end up with the short straw and are worth much more - you are worth a happy place. So keep your eyes peeled and stay positive - a great work environment is waiting for you!
