The interview is thought of as being the time that the employer interviews the job seeker, but there is a great deal that the job seeker can do to interview the employer and both sides decide if the job will be a good fit. We have hit on good questions to ask your potential employer at the end of an interview, but you can also use the interview to figure out whether the business itself is toxic or not.
A quick note. When we are talking about toxic work environments, we aren’t simply talking about work that is hard or one or two coworkers being kind of gits. Toxic work environments are environments where the bosses mismanage or outright bully people, bullying behavior is rampant, negative gossip abounds and at the end of the day, you are completely drained and dreading going back. They can encourage unethical behaviors, has a high level of nepotism, and/or are quite cutthroat in their dealings. While some people may thrive in these sorts of environments, many don’t and end up burned out, anxious, depressed or angry.
So how can you use the interview to suss out whether the work environment will be toxic?
- Success is Framed as Cutthroat
You should always ask about what it’s like to work at that company, or what a day in the life looks like and these questions can help you suss out whether the culture is cutthroat. For example, the hiring manager may talk a lot about the improving the bottom line, about how bonuses are tied to money and improving that bottom line rather than things like collaboration or coming together, these can be red flags. Bonuses in particular can lead to unethical behaviors being rewarded as it’s easier to turn a blind eye to something when you’re being paid extra to do so. If rewards are also framed in a competitive fashion, you might want to reconsider your options as competing for rewards generally favours people who are more cutthroat or even unethical.
- “We Don’t Talk About Negative Things”
Or some variant therein. Obviously no company is going to focus on their shortcomings, but if they refuse to acknowledge any areas of weakness or problems, this can be seen as a red flag. What this often means is that management is blind to problems and believe everything is perfect which forces people to pretend everything is perfect and lie or hide when it isn’t. This rosy outlook is damaging to businesses, as seen with Target Canada when they refused to see that what they were doing wasn’t working until they had to leave altogether. People who feel pressured to act like things are always perfect are also more likely to blame others when things go wrong – poop rolls down hill after all.
- The interviewer badmouths people
This should be a massive red flag: if you ask about the person who held the job before and the interviewer is cagey about answering or outright badmouths that person, it’s a sign that bullying and ostracism have become baked into the culture. And if people are willing to badmouth each other, what are they potentially going to say about you behind your back? It’s simply unprofessional and a red flag.
- The ‘Vibe’ is… Weird
While it’s important to be professional on the job site, professional doesn’t mean scared, tense, or on edge. If you’re noticing that people aren’t willing to chat with each other, you aren’t greeted in a friendly fashion by others and no one seems to be smiling, laughing, or joking, this could be a red flag that this is an uncomfortable place to work.
- Paperwork is Cagey
Many companies will want you to sign things like non-disclosure papers or non-competition papers (ie, you won’t work for the competition). But if everyone seems cagey about letting you read your terms of employment before getting hired, this can be a red flag. The company may have snuck in some nastiness around things like competition clauses, pay, vacation terms, and so on. It’s important to read these things before you sign on the dotted line and if anyone seems reluctant to let you do so, it could be a red flag.
Remember that the interview is as much for you to decide if the place will be good for your career as it is for the employer to decide if you’re good for them. Utilize this time to not only learn more about the position, but also about the employer. You don’t want to end up in a horrible job site if you can avoid it.
