The
economy is picking up and most of the employers report that finding employees
is getting tougher. The competition for talent is getting hotter due to the
startup boom. Now, that should mean good times for the job seekers, not
necessarily as employers do not increase the benefits or salaries to get the
top talent. They follow a much easier way, they spin a story around how good
they are, how your life will change after you join them, it’s a marriage made
in heaven.
And
many do fall in their trap, only to repent later. These are some of the common
signs that your potential employer is spinning a story and you should think
twice before picking that job offer.
Everything
Is Too Good
If you
find that your next employer is akin to the heavenly abode of angels and
everything is goody, goody. Chances are that it may be an illusion. Your hiring
manager takes you on company tour through pre-selected aisles and insists that
you are always with them. They do not allow you any private conversation time
with other employees on the floor.
They
Cannot Explain Why The Position Is Open
If your
new employer cannot explain as to why the last person left the job, you may be
landing in the hot seat. It is very important to know the reason for the exit,
because you may not be able to change the job role or it’s stakeholders. You
many end in the same or worse off circumstances as soon as you start the new
job. Why would you want to be a sitting duck, just waiting to be shot by the
old timers?
They
Cannot Explain Bad Glassdoor Reviews
Make
sure you ask your hiring manager about the comments on the Glassdoor site by
the ex employees, look at their reaction, do they just brush it off as nonsense
and blame the ex employee for tarnishing their image or they say, we learnt
from the episode and have made changes to our policies to avoid a repeat of the
incident. No employer is golden and always correct, it is the intent to be on
the right path that separates the best employers from the not so good ones.
They
Insist That You Join Immediately
Immediate
joining should ring an alarm bell, it a sign that some one just walked out of
the job without serving the notice period. In normal circumstances this is rare,
people do not like walking away unless the place is making them go mad. Did the
work pressure or culture force them to take the extreme step of not reporting
to work? Even though they know that this may be uncovered during reference
checks. One of the tactics that you can use is to ask the new employer about
the time you will have with the last employee to transition work in progress to
your desk, if your new employer insists that this is not needed, think twice
before you pick the job offer. What are they trying to hide?
They
keep On Repeating “Meritocratic Culture”
If your
new employer keeps on repeating that their culture is meritocratic and they
have very high bonuses, chances are that you will be monitored 24*7 by them.
Make sure that you don’t land in the hands of control freaks, who treat you
like a dumb machine that needs to monitored for staying productive.