How To Identify A Toxic Culture Before Accepting A Job Offer
With everyone touting their “amazing” culture it can be hard to tell who is telling the truth. Here are a few red flags to look for
Source | www.fastcompany.com | JARED LINDZON
Many recent graduates have indicated that they would accept a significant pay cut in order to work for a company that they felt had great values, culture, and leadership. With such a high premium on these traits, employers have been repositioning their recruiting materials to put them front and center, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell which are really living these values, and which are only paying lip service.
Instead, candidates need to identify certain red flags and warning signs to make sure that culture they find themselves in is the one they signed up for before it’s too late.
LOOK PAST THE SUPERFICIAL PERKS
One pitfall that leads many candidates to believe in a culture that may not actually exist are superficial perks like ping-pong tables in the break room and free lunches.
“A lot of people consider perks as culture. Perks is just stuff,” explains Piyush Patel, founder of Oklahoma-based online training company Digital-Tutors and author of the forthcoming book Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work. “We used to have a big cereal bar, and everybody who took a tour would say ‘oh my gosh, you have a cereal bar, that is the coolest thing, your culture is amazing,’ and I’m thinking ‘no, it’s just food.”
SNOOP AROUND A BIT DURING YOUR INTERVIEW
Instead, Patel says candidates should look out for some very subtle clues during their initial tour of the workplace. First and foremost is the layout of the office, as some may prefer to work in an open concept while others thrive when given their own cubicle or office. Candidates should also keep an eye out for how employees interact with each other; whether things seem very rigid and regimented or freer flowing and laid-back, and consider which would be the best fit for them.