Tell Tale Signs of a Bad Company

Obviously, companies do not go around blatantly advertising the fact that they are a bad company and not that great to work for, therefore how can you go about uncovering their true side?

Read and Believe

Usually it is a case of not believing everything you read however, when it comes to bad press regarding a company that you have an interest in then you should take notice. This is especially true if you keep reading bad reports about the same company, they are not all going to be wrong so it will benefit you to pay attention and take heed of what is being said. Look out for news relating to strikes at the company, employees do not risk their jobs by carrying out strike action for nothing, they are obviously unhappy about something.

Strikes generally occur due to poor working conditions of some sort, low wages, long hours, and no holidays or similar. It is worth keeping your ear to the ground so to speak to discover the cause of the strike. Perhaps a union dispute has sparked a strike this is never a good sign as a company's union needs to be solid and present a completely united force for the employees.

Bad Reply

It is always drummed into us about presenting our CV/Resumes properly and professionally. We are told to check the spelling and grammar and then instructed to check it again until the whole piece is word perfect, this can take a lot of effort for some that perhaps do not possess a natural aptitude for English.

So when so much hard work and effort is made it can be very soul destroying to receive a badly written reply back. Part of you is pleased to think that you even received a reply but the other part is quite insulted by the lack of care taken to check the letter prior to sending it out. It makes you question their professionalism and whether you actually want to work for a company that displays such an unprofessional front.

You also have to consider that they answer most of their written communications in the same way, this makes you wonder how exactly they manage to run their company if they cannot even be bothered to proof/edit a simple reply.

Why the Urgency?

If you hear a recruiter or manager saying the words, "Hurry, this is a one in a million opportunity" or "Quickly send your CV/Resume in now, this minute, do not delay," be careful as this is aggressive selling. Ask yourself why the urgency, what is the rush? Perhaps someone left in a hurry and the space has to be filled fast and if this is the case just why did that certain someone leave so quickly? Potential employees have even been known to receive instructions to literally drop everything and attend an instant interview with no chance to prepare. I think this is done to restrict the amount of time given for the possible employee to gather much background information on the company prior to an interview.

Sounds too Good

If a job opportunity sounds a little too good to be true then the chances are high that it probably is just that. Do not allow yourself to be drawn in, as there will undoubtedly be a catch somewhere along the line. I know this sounds incredibly negative but you have to keep your eyes wide open and remain sharp and focussed.

The catch could be that you will not receive any wages for the initial few weeks or even months. You might be expected to work extremely long hours once you accept the position and this is written in the smallest print imaginable in your contract. It could be that the incredible start-up company you have been told about is not all that incredible after all. Perhaps the starting-up phase will come down to you but you will not receive any physical or financial assistance with the venture in the beginning.

Negative Interview

If all you seem to be hearing from your interviewer are bad comments and negative opinions then this should serve as a red flag. Points to look out for could be:

- Complaining about the high level of staff sickness - ask yourself why people keep going sick.

- Zero enthusiasm about the company.

- No genuine interest in answering your company related questions.

Decline and Research

Never be afraid to decline an offer made to you if you are not entirely happy with the situation, it is better to opt out than start and then leave.

Try and research as much information as you possibly can about any potential employer before you even commit to an interview. Remember it is your future and if you begin employment and then leave quickly due to them being a bad company it does not look good to the next potential employer.

So follow the above guidelines and use some basic commonsense and you should be able to spot the bad companies before they begin to reel you in.