Red Flags to Look Out for Before Taking a New Tech Job

How can you tell if a company is bad for you?

This piece is written by www.wearelaika.com, a platform for matching Tech professionals with companies. Check out more content here.

Looking for a job can be hard and exhausting. If you are a Tech professional, companies are commonly sending you offers, not the other way around. However, not all offers are worth giving a shot. There are a lot of tech companies and the choice can be difficult.

You want to find a company where you will be appreciated and where you will make significant career advancements. But, a company like this is not always easy to recognize. Most Tech companies have that “startup culture” at first sight and look perfect when you first step in. Yet, you start working, and after you spend a few months in the company, you realize that it’s not really what you were hoping for.

So, how to avoid this? How to find a company where you can make the best of your talents and skills? Here are some things you should keep an eye on:

• The interview process. Is the interview process going smoothly? Do the interviewers know what they are doing? How is their tone? Observe their cohesion. Every team member should know their role and what they are here for. They shouldn’t be asking you questions just to fill the time, they should be specific. This is how you’ll determine whether the company is structured and organized. A good company should have its processes defined and smooth.
• How are they communicating? First of all, are they being respectful? Do you have to wait too long to get an email answer? Are they professional in their answers? Do you feel like their approach is personalized, or you feel like just another number?
• Ask what will your typical day look like. The activities you will have on a daily basis will be the ones occupying most of your time so you want them to be something you are comfortable with. Think about how challenging they will be and how much time you will need to complete them. Think about whether you will be bored or engaged when you do them.
• Do they have an onboarding process? No matter how skilled you are, you will need a couple of days — even weeks to get adjusted, get familiar with your colleagues and the new ways of work. How does the company handle this part? How do they initiate the new employee?
• Ask the opinion of the interviewer. What is it that they like about working in this company? You’ll be easily able to see how they feel and whether they are excited or not.
• How will they evaluate your work? You need to know what this company is expecting from you and whether you’ll be able to fulfill it. Of course, it’s also very important if you don’t feel challenged enough — then this is not the job for you.
• Ask for project examples. If possible, ask them to show you examples of projects you would work on. Is it something you would enjoy?
• Advancement opportunities. You mustn’t let the interview pass without asking about this. You need to have a clear picture of what your future in this company would look like. What’s the next position you can be promoted to? How long will it pass before they review your work and give you feedback? Moreover, the advancements don’t have to be vertical. Are there possibilities for horizontal movement if you are interested? Think long-term.
• Check the employee turnover rate. Ask the interviewer about the average time the employees spend at their company. Try to contact former employees and find out how long they stayed at the company and why they left. If the employee turnover rate is high, something must be wrong.
• What is their career development plan for employees? This is very important. Before taking a new Tech job, you need to know how much does this company invest in its employees. Most successful Tech companies have their own programs of side-projects, courses, seminars, resources for their employees to stay up-to-date and gain new skills. If your potential employer has this, you are in the right place.
• The recruiting process is too short. They weren’t very interested in you. They only asked two or three questions. This means they probably make the decisions impulsively, without thinking too much. Working in this kind of company might mean working in an unhealthy environment, under pressure, without too much consideration about circumstances.
• The recruiting process takes too long. Yes, this is also bad. If the recruiting process is too long, you’ll probably get frustrated and lose interest. According to Glassdoor, the average recruiting process takes about 23 days, so you can use this number to determine.
• Can you fit into their culture? Do you think their working hours are a good fit for your work-life balance? Do they have remote days? How often do team buildings occur? Is the break time flexible? You need to feel happy when you leave work. You must decide whether their company culture will make you happy.
• Simply observe people. While you’re entering the company and walking by people, observe them. Do they look happy? It’s not hard to determine this by the looks on their faces.

You must keep in mind that when you go to an interview, you shouldn’t be the only one being evaluated. You should also evaluate your interviewers, your potential colleagues, and the environment in the company. They are also being tested — you just need to understand that you are in a position to do it.

The right question to ask is — can you see yourself being happy here?

It’s not the end of the world if you don’t feel like a company is right for you. This is the place you’ll spend most of your time at — make sure you choose it carefully.

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