If you got a job lookout for these employer red flags before accepting the job offer. If you are currently applying for a job, there are a few things you should pay attention to before accepting a job offer. To protect yourself from undesirable companies you need to identify the following eight red flags and they are:
No Offer Letter
A job offer is valid only when there is a formal agreement in the form of an offer letter. An offer letter is a proof that you have been employed by the company. An offer letter is a formal document sent to a candidate to offer employment with the company. It includes details such as terms, job title, start date, total compensation, benefits etc. A letter of offer is proof that the company has offered you a job. Without the offer letter, there is no legal proof that the job was offered to you by the company. It is just not enough to receive an email or text saying you’ve been hired. An employer’s refusal or delay to deliver this document is a giant red flag.
Unwritten promises
In the corporate world, verbal promises mean little. If you are promised a salary increase by the hiring manager when he tells you that your starting salary “won’t be great” make sure to ask them to write that promise on your offer letter itself. A job offer should not be accepted based on a verbal promise. It’s not valid.
Chances are, the employer never intended to pay you more in the first place especially if they refuse to write their promise. This is a strategy used by some employers to make use of your services on the cheap end for a few months and then replace you with someone else using the same trick when you asked for a raise.
Unclear entity goals
“What is the mission and vision of the entity/company?” is one of the questions every interviewee should ask the company. This question will enable you to know where the company is headed and for what cause are your efforts being bought.
The hiring manager ideally, will have a solid answer to this question, detailing the company’s start up, successes, and vision. All of these things are important to you as a potential employee because the tasks you will be assigned will be based on them. If the hiring manager cannot answer this question clearly enough and resorts to something cliché and generic, you would have a reason for being a bit suspicious. If this is the case, the tasks assigned to you will not have a clear narrative to justify why you are doing what you are doing.
Improper Personal Questions
Things like your marital status, religion, sexual orientation, race, or anything like that shouldn’t have anything to do with the job you’re applying for. As long as you meet the necessary qualifications, these things only help the interviewer potentially discriminate against you. Be smart in how you answer seemingly random questions. The interviewer is unlikely to ask an inappropriate personal question directly, but if they do, know that you don’t have to answer it. You can simply say that you are not comfortable answering this question and ask them to move on to the next one.
No employee handbook/guidebook
For clarifying the relationship between an employee and their employer, an employee handbook is a very important and useful tool. It is a document containing all the labour codes, rules, policies and expectations that you, as an employee, must follow. There could be confusion and mistrust later on and this could even lead to potential conflicts if the company you’re applying to doesn’t have a dedicated employee handbook, there’s no written record of the rules that need to be imposed on you.
Vacancy due to mass layoff
A company will ideally put up a new vacancy when they expand and needs more manpower or after a mass layoff. If the company you are applying to has recently fired a large part of their employee, that’s a big red flag. This shows that something similar could also happen to you in the future if you fall on the wrong side of the spreadsheet. Although the reason for mass layoffs may be reasonable from the company’s side, you should be responsible for the safety of your job.
Impolite or sarcastic interviewer
During an interview, the interviewer is the first company representative a candidate meets. It is therefore natural to assume that their behaviour gives you a rough idea of the overall corporate culture. After all, an interviewer is expected to be good at conversation. During the interview, if they seem to be making rude or sarcastic comments, that’s a red flag. A well-trained investigator knows their limits and is adept at managing people and maintaining professional decorum. If you are not treated the same, it is not a good first impression from them.
No Strong Business value
The values that represent the company you are applying to are of great importance to you. These are the values that will more or less determine how you will be treated in the company, assuming these values are enforced. Be sure to ask the interviewer, “What are the company’s values?” You can judge the validity of their answer by comparing it to other statements made during the interview. For example, if the interviewer says “we believe in elevating our employees.” But if you learn of a recent mass layoff, you may be wary of their stated values.
Learn to identify an unsuitable job the same way an employer assesses you as a candidate, you should also assess the company to see if they are a good fit for you. With the eight red flags above, you can get an idea of how much you will be treated, compensated and retained. No job will be perfect in every way, but it’s up to you to decide how willing you are to adapt. Drop a comment if you have other red flags not mentioned here.
