Finding a new job is never easy. There are interviews, phone calls, case studies, and zoom meetings – and while it’s exciting and fun, it’s also all SO overwhelming. During this process, your initial thoughts are all centered around the main goal: getting hired. You forget about what comes after; starting this new job, beginning with a new team, and working for new employers.
These have huge impacts on how much you’re going to enjoy life day-to-day in the workplace, and you want to be sure you know what to look for in an employer at the same time they’re looking for the green flags in their future employee. Over the years, I’ve learned how to better understand what to look for in an employer and target my thought process specifically towards looking for five essential green flags in an employer.
Transparency
When joining a new company, transparency is key. If they “beat around the bush” with the answers they’re giving, it most likely means you won’t like the answer. Transparency when talking about benefits, scheduling, pay, company goals, and your duties is not only important, it’s crucial for your well-being.
It’s 100x easier to walk into a company where you know exactly what to expect and receive clear-cut, transparent answers to all questions. This also showcases respect from your employer that you’re more than just their employee – you are a part of their team.
Aligning Values
When figuring out what to look for in an employer, It’s important to look for a company that aligns its values with yours. Even if this doesn’t seem like a crucial element when joining a company, it will make your life both easier and also more enjoyable.
Whether these are company values, organizations they pair with or volunteer for, or personal values among the employees; it’s all-important to make sure your values are similar. Typically, this is something they’ll convey throughout the interview process verbally, or you can find hints through their websites and social media outlets.
For me, growth is something that I value when looking to join a company. If my employers don’t see my role as having the growth potential, it’s an immediate red flag and elimination from my roster.
The Ability to Teach + Learn
The ability and interest to learn as an employee at a new workplace is an important trait to showcase during the interview process. However, while looking for an employer, it’s also important to look at if your employers and team are not only willing to teach you, but also learn from you.
Just because you’re “new” to a team, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re “new” to an industry. If you aren’t, it’s extremely attractive as an employee to have a team that recognizes they can potentially learn from you all while you’re learning new things from them. After all, the best way for a company to execute new and improved strategies is by listening, learning, and teaching.
“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
Jack Welch, Former CEO of General Electric
Healthy Work-Life Balance
There is nothing more stressful than not being able to separate work and play. If you work in an industry where you’re working with clients, communicating with your team, and using your phone/laptop throughout the day, it’s important to have a set time where you unplug. A time where you don’t need to check notifications, answer phone calls, or respond to emails while outside of the office.
Otherwise, you will almost certainly develop workplace burnout and find yourself dragging your feet to work day after day. When figuring out what to look for in an employer, search for a company that understands the idea that you are a human being first and an employee second shouldn’t be a privilege, but rather a given.
Collaboration
At the end of the interview process, the company is going to hire you. Your talents, your mindset, and your skills. However, they’re also welcoming you into their company as part of their team. This means collaborating with others to some extent throughout the workplace. A tight-knit, hardworking, and harmonious team is the backbone of a successful company.
With that, comes the collaboration of the departments. You can’t expect the marketing department to operate without the collaboration of the sales team – it just won’t work. Being able to openly communicate, work with, and collaborate thoughts and ideas with your entire team is a sheer sign of a healthy company.
Figuring out what to look for in an employer can be intimidating and stressful, but don’t forget you are also interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you. You’re both in the market for that “perfect fit”, so don’t settle for a company that doesn’t align with your values or allows for collaboration. You WILL find a company that makes you happy and lets you grow at the same time.
Happy job hunting!