Not Sure? Find Out How
As a job seeker, if you had to rank important factors before accepting a job, I bet pay, benefits, career progression, and flexibility are top of mind.
While these are deal-breakers for job seekers, a poll by The Female Lead below shows that the majority leave their jobs because of bad management and unhealthy work culture. This shows that tangible things are not the only important things to consider in a job.
Before I go into what an unhealthy work culture is, are you aware of what work culture is?
Work culture is the values + beliefs + behaviours acceptable in a work environment. It is important as it affects and impacts employee experiences.
So, how do you spot a toxic workplace culture? Here are some pointers:
Values are blatantly ignored in the context of everyday work or in making important company decisions.
Employees rarely or sometimes do not make decisions or give suggestions.
A huge gap exists between how the management and employees of the company are treated.
Low-performing employees are shamed instead of devising ways to help them perform better.
Employees are constantly micromanaged.
No questions are asked when employees leave. Employee Exit sessions, what are those?
I hear you; it’s easier to spot a toxic culture when you are in it. But, how does one spot a toxic work culture from the outside?
During interviews and the job search process:
You are treated as though they are doing you a favour. Meaning: Employees may not be treated as collaborators or partners.
They are not patient with answering questions you have or can't answer questions from you at the end of your interview. Meaning: They may not rate you or have a culture of not questioning certain things or positions.
They do not bring up their mission or values during the interview process (perhaps through behavioural or scenario-based questions) or cannot speak about them when you ask. Meaning: the values may not exist, may not be known by them, or there is a mismatch between values and behaviours
They ask for your bank statement to cross check your current salary. Meaning: there is a potential culture of distrust and scepticism.
Current and past employees seem hesitant or reluctant to answer questions. Meaning: there's a lot more to things than meets the eye.
There you have it! What other examples can you share? Don’t dull yourself and end up regretting not doing your research. Prioritise work culture. You would hate to leave as quickly as you left.
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