How To Spot A Toxic Workplace (Part 1)
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
In a job interview, you won’t immediately know if the company is toxic or not. After all, it’s just an interview. There are no second chances to scope out the workplace with your senses. An interviewer might ask you if you have any questions before ending the interview. You can use this opportunity to ask them about their company culture and working conditions. If they respond positively and make their workplace sound like a dream come true, there are usually other things they aren’t telling you. Here are some red flags that indicate whether an organization’s culture is toxic or not:
A High-Pressure Interview Process
If you get the feeling that your interviewer is rushing through the process, or maybe rushing you through a particular question, then that’s a red flag. They should be interested in your answers and be asking follow-up questions or clarifying points to ensure that they get what they need from the conversation. A toxic workplace will put a lot of pressure on new hires and on people, they interview – either to hit unrealistic quotas or to “perform” once they’ve started. While the latter is understandable to some extent, the former is completely unreasonable. If the interviewer is putting pressure on you, you may have to dig deep and remind yourself that you’re not at fault. They are because they are distracting you with pressure so you don’t notice that they have a bad environment or culture.
Constant Turnover
If you notice a lot of people leaving the company, that’s a huge red flag. It’s even more concerning if the people leaving are people who have been there a while and are more knowledgeable about their roles. If the turnover rate is high, it could mean that people are being mistreated and/or don’t feel like they have a future with the company. If the reason for the high turnover is due to the employees being too ambitious and leaving for bigger and better things, then it’s a different story. If you notice that a lot of people are leaving the company, ask why. Consider it your good fortune if you are rejected because you asked the question. After all, if you can notice a trendline of people leaving, there is a problem that the interviewer isn’t explaining to you. After all, high turnover is bad for any organization. Executive Resume Writer and Korn Ferry Leadership Architect, Donna Svei points out that if the previous person was in the role for a short period of time, you need to understand why. Ask, “How many people have held this position in the past 5 years,” she suggests.
Lack of Transparency
Employees who don’t feel trusted are bound to feel stressed out and unfulfilled. If the hiring manager or their staff is being vague about certain things or is being overly secretive about their organization, that’s a huge red flag. Interviewers should be selling you on the job, the opportunity, and the company culture. If they’re vague or secretive about certain things, it can affect the quality of your work and your morale. If the interviewer is vague during the interview, ask if they can give you specifics instead of generalizations. If they continue to give vague answers, they are doing it for a reason and that reason isn’t good for you.
End of part 1
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2022
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a career and leadership coach who worked as a recruiter for more than 40 years. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with more than 2400 episodes. He also hosts Job Search TV on YouTube, and Amazon, as well as on BingeNetworks.tv for Apple TV and 90+ smart sets.
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