There are companies you should avoid. It doesn't matter if the salary is high, if the offer seems irreplaceable, if the benefits are unique or if you really need the job.
There are some signs that indicate that the company is a place to avoid, and seeking another alternative is the best option. It is also important to remember that no matter how late it is, any company is on time to change, or may have already started that process. But at certain times, it is better to look for other options. How can we detect them?
1. The short career
Evasion of questions such as: What are the growth opportunities? What are the long-term objectives for me? You are only expected to solve the specific tasks of your position. Lack of development and learning opportunities, without guides or mentors, lack of a career plan.
2. The one that doesn't want to see
Lack of vision and long-term company objectives. Lack of communication from executives and managers to employees about these objectives. Constant change of direction of the objectives. The employees do not know where the company is or wants to go. Failure in the predictions of the results. Problems to grow and finance. Projects that are abandoned halfway. The urgent over the important constantly. Difficulty in finding challenges and being able to contribute to the company finding the direction it seeks.
3. The ones that promise in vain
Unfulfilled promises. Lack of expectations. Mistrust. The promises, benefits, opportunities in your job offer and position are constantly not met, they are renewed and not fulfilled again. Things don't change. New complaints are generated, changes are promised. And again it does not change. A key part in the relationship with the company is trust, if you cannot trust your company and your bosses, you will likely look for new directions.
4. The control freak
Lack of flexibility and delegation. Centralized decision making. Compliance with schedule is demanded, over the achievement of objectives when the business does not require it. Remote work policies are avoided. It limits the ability of employees and middle managers to make decisions and take risks, all decisions go through the hierarchical ranks. The blame is sought more than solutions. Conflict between colleagues and teams are generated. The turnover and exit rate of employees will be high, and it will always seek to show that the problem was the employee without assuming any of the company's responsibility. A boss once told me: "Ask me for forgiveness if something went very wrong, but don't ask me for permission to make decisions and take risks". In a company where you can't do this, you surely demotivated, and you'll want to find a new destination where you feel valued.
5. The ones that pretend
Events are frequently developed with excess spending for internal marketing and advertising. Time and notifications are dedicated to make everything look nice, modern and updated on the outside. Signs related to status are shown, from the size of the desk, to the model of the chair and computer while constantly rejecting expenses related to improving daily operations, and the technology is 20 years old. When this happens, the day to day will be difficult and draining. Installing new technological tools, changes to processes that need to modify any expense, will be punished and will require excess authorizations.
6. The inverted pyramid:
The relationship between managers/directors and employees is disproportionate. Excessive executive meetings and public in them to plan and propose ideas, and lack of day-to-day operation. Occupation of new managerial roles with external people. Few opportunities for internal promotion. Much emphasis on the position and level that each one occupies within the internal hierarchy. Difficulty in making decisions, each one will delay forever, projects will take time to start as there are too many people giving their opinion and not enough people executing. The work will fall on few individuals, making the day-to-day very draining.
7. The Negative Culture
Employee evaluations showing bad results for the company, or directly evaluations are not conducted to visualize this situation. Direct contact with current employees in the interviews is avoided or reasons for the departure of previous employees are not answered. Lack of productivity and performance. Bad internal climate. Much emphasis is placed on marketing part of the culture such as the ping-pong table, special food for Fridays or that there are snacks TWICE a day. High turnover rates, search to fill the same key positions every very short periods. To detect this in the interviews, it is important to ask about each point of the culture, how the company does on a daily basis to carry it out. Many times something is transmitted in a job classified ad, which has nothing to do with the day to day. The company will expect the employee to deliver a lot less than the company gives. Dishonesty and mistrust will prevail, whoever asks for a change will be the problematic one and will end up abandoning the...
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