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It’s A Great Development Opportunity (and other reasons you don’t want the job)
Last week I highlighted the tricks that companies use to find out who you really are. Secret tools that companies know so that they can get around the formality of the interview are critical to the “do we hire this person” decision. In the same vein, there are tricks, observations, and tests that you should use to understand a company’s culture, your future bosses quirks, and the secrets they don’t want you to know about. Some of these are amusing like your boss is a germaphobe with more hand sanitizer than most hospitals which means lots of conference calls than actual face time. Some of these will tip you off that a 70 hour week is normal. Some of these can warn you that your failure is assured before you even start the job. I know enough of these warnings to write a book. Some I learned through advice from the brilliant…too many from personal experience. Here are a few:
If the offer is low and they tell you it’s a development opportunity, it means no one else wants to do the work either. Translate the comment to mean “We can’t find anyone who will do this that has experience. So we will give it to someone without experience.” In short, you being set up to fail as you will be surrounded by people who know how to get it done but don’t want the accountability.
If everyone you are interviewing with has dark circles under their eyes and lots of pictures of their family on their desk, expect that you won’t be spending much time at home much either. Companies that brag about the dedication of their employees can mean the fear level of losing a job is extreme.
A company that posts their values on the wall can be a either a good thing or a nightmare. Ask the person interviewing you to tell you which value they think is most important. If they have to look at the plaque on the wall or even worse break out into laughter…buyer beware.
Want a good gage about company culture? Visit every bathroom you can. I learned this from a dear friend with the OFCCP. Sexual graffiti, inappropriate jokes, profanity or threats of violence on the bathroom walls almost guarantees a hostile work environment or demonstrates a culture that is exceptionally lax on how people are treated in the workplace. It’s the first place investigators go to determine company culture. So should you.
If you want to know how decisions are made and whether or not you are going to need permission to get anything done or at worst be required to have the blessing of 12 people, finance approval, division review, 7 forms from HR and a goat sacrifice, then ask your interviewer if they have the decision authority to hire you. If every interviewer dodges the question, rolls their eyes, or give you a conflicting answer, welcome to a world of corporate frustration. (If the word “TEAM” is mentioned more than 15 times in a fifteen minute interview…consider it a culture of zero accountability)
My favorite question for people who interview me for a job is also the most telling. I ask “How long have you been with the company?” Then I ask regardless of the answer “What could I offer you to make you quit?” The smart ones should say “Nothing.” Any other answer will speak volumes about the values, frustrations, and tolerance levels within the culture. If they say “Nothing”, then I follow up with “What would make you quit?” If they say “Nothing”, they are robots and will be replaced in the next round of layoffs. If they answer honestly (see any episode of “Lie to me” for tips) you will see what the interviewer values in their job. If everyone you interview with echo’s the same trigger points then you will know what their culture values.
A few other quick tips should give you a good idea of what to look for. How clean are the offices? Is there personal expression allowed in each office? Are people late for your interview? Do they say “I haven’t read your resume, how about you tell me your story?” Are you kept waiting in the reception area for long periods of time? One company left me waiting for 90 minutes in a lobby with no explanation or apology. They were offended when I left. I won’t mention any names (KB Home) but I understand the person I was to interview with is no longer with the company. One company bragged about the weight every new hire gains the first year. I can only attest that it was one of my favorite companies to work with!
It is so critical to know what you are getting into before you take a job and it’s the things that you never talk about which are the things that will either create a career adventure or a job cage. Take the time to investigate and use every trick you know to learn about the place you will spend most of your waking life. If the company is smart they will do the same to you. A good company will welcome your detective work.
Copyright © 2010 Mike Baumgartner | HR | Consulting | Coach | Human Resources | Search - CEO, Worklife Survival Center LLC
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