By Admin. Updated 3:25 p.m., Friday, January 12, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
When pursuing a new job, people often put the salary at the top of the list as a deciding factor.
While the salary grade/bracket is important, there are some other factors that are necessary for one to check to ensure the work environment in which one wants to enter will not become toxic.
There is no perfect workplace, but there are some signs you should look for to get an indication as to whether a workplace is toxic.
Here are five (5) things you should ensure a firm/organization has before taking a job offer.
1. Strategic planning/vision or a willingness to pursue it:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”. That’s a famous Bible verse, but it is true for organizations as well. There must be a sense of direction as to where an organization is in the market and where it wants to go in at least 2-3 years.
According to Investopedia, every successful business has a plan and knows where it is heading in the future.
“A strategic plan allows you to see what is important, how to get there, the pitfalls to avoid, and the noise to ignore,” Investopedia says.
The plan will help the organization to establish goals, measurable objectives, and key performance indicators which will help to monitor the progress of an organization.
According to Harvard Business School, strategic planning can also help with drawing attention to flaws and biases in reasoning when it comes to decision-making.
If the organization doesn’t know where it’s going, you’ll end up feeling stagnant just like the organization.
2. Occupational health and safety:
Imagine settling into a new job only to find out that the working environment is characterized by mold infestation, dangerous electrical issues, and poor or no occupational health and safety policies or safeguards.
You could end up sacrificing your health and even your life just to make the all-mighty dollar, but what is wealth without health?
An organization that shows strong occupational health and safety policies is one that cares about you and the law.
On the contrary, an organization that shows poor or no occupational health and safety policies and safeguards is one that doesn’t value you or the law.
3. An appreciation for objectivity over emotions in decision-making:
Find out the leadership style of your boss or supervisor before taking that job. This might be difficult to achieve, but try doing some research even if it means chatting in a formal and responsible way with past and present employees.
You do not want to find out, having already settled in, that promotions, opportunities, or advancement in the organization rests on how someone feels about you rather than the individual performance indicators assigned to your job description.
Worse, you do not want your ideas to be left to the general mood or feelings of one individual rather than being looked at and discussed objectively.
Far worse, is that in such organizations, the very rules can be bent or manipulated to work against those who sometimes work the hardest, but do not wish to be pulled into any divisive agendas.
4. Respect for employment/labour laws and regulations:
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Imagine being given a full-time job and six months into the job, you are called into a meeting and told that your six months were probationary.
There is no explanation, and no one can answer how the invisible probationary clause still remains invisible on your job letter but is extant in the mind of your supervisor.
Worse, you don’t want to be in a situation where your hours are played with, and there seems to be nothing you can do about it.
5. Staff motivation policies or initiatives and respect for creativity and innovation:
The absence of staff motivation policies and initiatives is one of the biggest red flags you can be shown about the state of any organization.
Once there are no policies for staff motivation and no willingness to have any, one is likely to have a culture of divide and conquer where those in charge want to be able to advance who they like and conquer those who they think don’t like them.
Furthermore, staff morale is likely to be very low and the atmosphere will be one where people just do what they can and collect their payment.
Steer clear of any such system.
Worse, if innovation and creativity are met with emotional barriers, it is likely to be an environment of control and one that would stifle your growth and development.
So, do your research, analyze the situation, and then conduct an evaluation before taking that job. Ensure that the new potential workplace has a strategic plan or vision, an appreciation for occupational health and safety, an appreciation for objectivity over emotions in decision-making, respect for employment/labour laws and regulations, interest in staff motivation policies or initiatives, and respect for creativity and innovation.
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