Executives in job search are generally good evaluators of job offers extended by potential employers. However, sometimes reasoning and decisions can become clouded by prolonged unemployment, financial crisis, or other stressors that become important when in job search mode.
Charles Purdy, Monster Senior Editor, recently posted an article “Seven Employer Danger Signs: When to Turn Down a Job Offer
.” He points out seven warning signs that every job seeker should pay attention to. One or two of these shouldn’t set off an alarm, but more than a few should be reason for concern.
1. Communication is unprofessional. Any communication, whether it is written or oral should be conducted in a professional manner. Emails should follow protocol and be written without grammar mistakes or abbreviated words used in texting. Correspondence or phone calls should be returned in a timely manner.
2. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t trust you. Companies today are very careful about the reputation of the people they hire. You may be squeaky clean professionally, however, may have bad credit or former employers who are not giving you glowing references. Check your own references and credit so you are not surprised by the results that may surface – true or false.
3. Unhappy employees. No one truly knows the prospective company’s culture until they are hired, however, you can observe things like employee interactions when you are in the company offices for an interview. I also recommend sitting in the company parking lot at 5:00 p.m. to see who goes home on time. Are people talking to their coworkers on the way to their cars? How do they seem? This can give you some insights.
4. Company reputation. In the hiring process, sometimes we get so caught up with our own reputation and what that means to a potential employer, that we ignore warning signs of a company with a bad reputation. Research the company online, contact anyone you know that might have company information, and bring up any concerns at an interview.
5. Incompatibilities with boss or coworkers. Listen to your gut when it tells you there is something not quite right about your potential boss or peers. Work styles and mindsets can be at the opposite end of the spectrum and while they may want to hire you for that perspective, they may not be able to adjust to a new way of thinking and achieving.
6. Vague job duties. How many times has this happened in your career? Probably more than once you’ve walked into a new office to discover your responsibilities hardly resemble the job description you submitted your resume for. And, especially if your salary depends on measuring job performance for commissions or bonuses, you want to be perfectly clear on the key objectives of the organization and their expectations of you. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure before you start.
7. Desperate hiring tactics. Companies can be so desperate to fill a position that has been vacant for awhile, or in such dire straights to turn around challenging issues, that they might offer you the job without following standard hiring protocols. This might tell you that is how the company manages many of its decisions and that’s not easy to deal with on a regular basis as an employee.
We all make some compromises in our working environments. To make sure you have made the very best choice of a new employer for you, be sure to consider some of these seven warning signs.