As individuals we all derive enjoyment from different aspect of our jobs. Some don’t derive any enjoyment from their job. Some are prepared to stick with an employer for the rest of their career.
But when you accept a job at a company you are effectively going in blind. How will you know if the job suits you? If you’ll like your colleagues? If the office culture is a good fit with your personality? All you have is the research you’ve done, along with the word of the recruitment consultancy or employer himself.
It’s quite a minefield. So, how can the candidate market gain more clarity? Most job-hunters simply accept that they aren’t going to know what a company is really like until they’ve worked there for a while. It’s ok for the employer to quiz you on every aspect of your life and expect truthful answers, but they’re hardly going to offer the same candour when answering your questions. “What are the people like here?” a candidate might enquire. “Oh, everyone is great – really friendly and helpful etc etc” the interviewer replies. But maybe they’re really all back stabbing, every man for himself, bitches. You’ll never know until you start work.
In the same way that holiday makers are encouraged to leave feedback on hotels, resorts or airlines on websites such as www.tripadvisor.com, employees should be able to do the same about employers, as long as they aren’t giving away any corporate secrets or competitor information.
When I’m considering a job the things I’d really like to know about a company are:
What kind of working culture is there? Is getting a promotion top of everyone’s mind? Is there a lot of office politics? Are you expected to work through lunch? Is there a competition to see who can stay the latest past 5pm? Is the atmosphere in the office encouraging?
What is the office like? Open plan or segregated? Call centre style or individual desks? Clear desk policy or can you personalise? Daylight or electric light?
What will my new colleagues be like? Are they cliquey, is image important, will be they be friendly? Will they be social?
What is the area like where the office is located? Good shops? Food outlets? Somewhere to go to eat lunch other than at your desk? Are there parks or a river?
The issues just go on and on. And these are things you can only find out from people who have worked at the company themselves.
This is why yournextemployer.com is such an important resource. It could mean the difference between being happy in a job or miserable.
