According to Jobvite’s 2012 Social Job Seeker Survey, 75 percent of workers are actively seeking or open to new jobs. In other words, if a recruiter from a different company sits with you and seven coworkers at lunch, six of you would be interested in what he has to say.
In an age with increasing demands in the workplace coupled with stagnant or decreasing wages, employees are more dissatisfied than they’ve been in a long time. Fortunately, by learning how to spot a bad employer, you don’t have to join their ranks!
Let’s take a look at how to spot a bad employer.
Wants to Know TMI
Whether you hang out at bars every night or run a side business, a potential employer has no good reason to pry into your personal life. After all, any information that should be of concern - legal issues, etc. - will turn up in a background check.
An employer who is overly interested in your personal life may be trying to dance around legal issues forbidding questions on children and marriage. For example, if you mention you’ve spent the past three weekends at Chuck E. Cheese’s, you’re essentially admitting you have (or care for) children.
Not to mention, an employer who wants to know too much personal information may be very controlling in nature.
Distractions During the Interview
If an interviewer thumbs away at his smartphone or answers six calls during the interview, this is a major red flag. This person:
Is rude
Doesn’t respect your time
May not have enough time for you (relevant if it’s your future manager)
And, consider this: if the company has selected this person as the first person candidates meet, what does that say about its culture?
Vague Answers
You: “Why is the position open”?
Employer: “The previous employee didn‘t work out.”
The above answer doesn’t tell you much. Did the employee resign without notice because the job was terrible? Did the employer terminate this person and, if so, why?
Vague answers may be a sign that the employer doesn’t want to tell you what really happened, which should raise a red flag.
Excessive Urgency
An employer who is in a rush to interview you or for you to make a decision on a job should raise a bright red flag in your mind. This employer could be:
Unprepared (hence in a rush to interview someone at the last minute)
Understaffed
Terrible (three people resigned without notice this week)
Overzealous (the recruiter is behind on his hiring quota)
Trying to force your decision (act now, supply is limited!)
Numerous Online Complaints
People have various interests and motives. And, some workers will take a round-the-clock beating while others feel a minute past five is too much to ask for. As such, it’s common for a bad review to surface on the Internet here and there.
However, you should still perform an online search of any employer you’re seriously considering. Look for patterns in complaints. For example, suppose XYZ corporation has 20 reviews and 19 are positive. Chances are this is a decent company to work for and that the one negative review isn’t shared by most employees.
However, consider the case of one television provider - I’ll withhold its name for privacy purposes. It has repeated claims of employees being overworked, cheated out of breaks and asked to perform unethical actions. If I were seriously considering this company, I’d run like the wind after reading this stuff!
The Bottom Line
While you can typically resign at any time, working for a bad employer won’t be good for your career or sanity. As such, it is important to look for clues during the interview.
If an employer wants to know too much about your personal life or appears distracted during the interview, consider whether or not you’ll be respected as an employee. If vague answers are given, ask yourself if the employer is trying to hide something. Similarly, a rushed employer may be unprepared, understaffed or have other problems you want no part of.
Finally, search online reviews to catch anything you may have missed during the interview. Then, sleep comfortably after accepting that next job, knowing you’ve done your best to dodge a nightmare employer!
By Clay Wyatt
Posted on 02/26/2013
Link: http://www.ttiofusa.com/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=47
