85
Hello everyone!
I am at the beginning stages of my job search and have been through several toxic workplace situation in the past. Wondering if there are specific questions to ask in an interview to assess whether or not the boss is a bully and or it is a toxic workplace. Thank you for any response that might help!
Unfortunately, appearances can be very deceiving. Toxic bosses and work environments don't advertise themselves as such, especially if they need to hire. Try to check for high turnover and see if you may be able to research info on Glassdoor or sites with postings from current and past employees. I have been through some of the worst examples of this with bosses who at first, appeared to be angels then ended up leaving after being asked to sign an NDA on my way out the door. Even if you ask about it upfront, you many not get an honest answer.
Best of Luck.
I wish I knew the answer to this. I'll be standing by waiting for responses.
It is always the best not to say negative things against your ex employer. IT IS SO HARD when that relationship was toxic. It is SO HARD to answer those questions about why you left.
I can't tell the total truth because it was badmouthing my ex empoyer. I do not lie! so I go around the negative areas..... it is so hard when you have been so abused in a work relationship. That is all I can say.
Hi Barbara, I would recommend asking the hiring team/supervisor: 1.Can you explain the type of work culture and give examples of how the team collaborates? 2. What type of leadership style do you have? (How this is answered will give you more insight to how your boss operates) 3. Why is the role available? (Did someone leave and why) 4. What is the preferred means of communication when there is an issue or concern? (Again how they reply gives insight including what’s not said) 5. What are some of the most challenging obstacles in this role? 6. What does a successful employee look like in this role?
7. How and when are goals reported and expectations measured?
How each one is answered should give you more insight to the type of culture and leadership within the organization. Listen for red flags for what is NOT said as this is even more important and take notes. Make your own assessment on each question ranking 1-5 on if they meet your own expectations and if you are in alignment with the organization. Also, research the company on LinkedIn and view the company feed to see what is important in the posts and topics. I would also recommend reaching out to a past employee for more insight on LI from your network or obtain an introduction stating your conducting research on the company for a potential position. Again see how this compares to what you gathered in your questioning. Bottom line, do your homework and interview them as much as you are being interviewed. It’s a 2 way street to achieve a good fit on both sides. The more knowledge you can gain about the people, leaders and organization will help you make a more informed decision.
Best of luck!
Thank you so much! This was extremely helpful and the questions you suggest are great! I appreciate it.
Hi, Barbara- I just got a new job and the job search was not very fun, so I know how you feel. One thing you can do is look up the company on Indeed.com or Glassdoor and read the reviews from employees/past employees. Of course,, it is all subjective and sometimes it's more about what's bad but at least you could anonymously see what is being said. Good luck to you!
Generally speaking, I would not take a job where the previous person in the position was fired. The only time I did this, the job was a disaster. They did not trust me to do basic tasks because of their experience with the last person. It was never resolved , no matter how friendly or accommodating I was. Then I needed up being fired too. That position was doomed from the start!
THANK YOU to everyone who commented and gave thoughtful answers! They were all extremely helpful!!
This is a great question, Barbara, and I'm sorry you've had trouble in the past. I would agree with the others about trusting your gut about the vibe of the place. If you listen, you can read a lot in what is not being said. I also think a really good question to ask is about turnover in the department and organization. You can ask people on the team things like - how long have you been here? What do you love about your job (if someone says "the free lunch" run the other way!)
The other side of this is being able to let go what has happened in the past. I wrote this blog about Healing Career Trauma that you might find helpful. I like to see trauma can be with a "T" or a "t" and dealing with a toxic work place can lead to either of those. Best of luck and please reach out if I can help. https://www.kirstenbunch.com/blog/2019/11/4/healing-career-trauma
Oh no, I actually had an HR person say, "lunch."
Give them a vibe-check first. I recently cancelled a second interview this week because the CEO seemed aloof, disinterested and dismissive - not to mention arrogant. It can be easy to play off rudeness as someone "having a bad day" - but think about it. Do you want to work for someone who's only rude if they're "having a bad day" - and they're in charge of you? For all you know they could be moody. Decent companies muster up the strength to be friendly to candidates, so don't be deceived.
Next - Glassdoor and Indeed reviews. These reviews tend to skew negative because people are motivated to act by anger, but you can keep an eye out and see if the negative reviews are saying the same thing. If they're all saying different things and most aren't negative, then you can have a better idea of the culture.
I would also ask the following questions:
"What is work life balance like at your company?"
"What's your favorite thing about working here?"
"What's your least favorite thing about working here?"
"Describe your company culture."
If any of those answers are skep, I would consider it a serious red flag.
Hope those helps!
I would ask what the turnover is like or why the last person left. I would also ask them to describe their culture and see what they have to say. You may get your answer there. Something else could be the soft skills/ personality of their ideal candidate.
User deleted comment on 10/03/21 at 11:43PM UTC