Are you being hired because the organisation is growing, or is it constantly re-advertising the role you are about to accept? The latter is often a sign of a retention or management problem. Photo: dreamstime.com.
Leah Lambart has advice for those planning to change their employment and wanting to ensure they do not end up back on the job market in just a few months.
Over the past few months, I’ve worked with a number of clients who accepted roles that turned out to be vastly different from what they were promised in the interview.
In one case, the organisation was on a downward spiral and the role was made redundant after only a few months; in another, the company was wound up altogether.
It’s a horrible position to be in. You’ve resigned from your old job; you’ve told your network the exciting news and then a few months later you’re back on the job market wondering where things went wrong.
So, can you do anything to prevent this? The answer is sometimes.
There are certainly some steps you can take to minimise this happening, but of course, there is no guarantee.
Here are some tips for checking an organisation’s viability before you sign on the dotted line.
Ask the hard questions in the interview: The interview process is just as much about the candidate interviewing the organisation as the other way round.
Having spent more than 12 years in recruitment before moving into coaching, I’ve seen this from both sides of the table.
A good employer will never be put off by a candidate asking sensible questions to confirm the viability of the business. If they do take offence, I would see this as a red flag.
Questions you could ask include: Is this a newly created role or a replacement? What has turnover been like in the team? How has the company performed over the past 12-to-24 months? What are the organisation’s key priorities over the next few years? What are the biggest challenges it faces?
If you’re given vague answers, feel pressure to accept quickly, or gain a sense that something’s being glossed over, trust your instinct. It’s far easier to ask questions now than to be back on the job market in three months.
Check the company’s registration: You can search the company on the register operated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
It takes only a few minutes and will tell you how long it has been operating, any previous company names, and who the directors are.
Review the financials and market position: If it’s publicly listed, have a look at the annual report and recent results, including revenue trends, profitability, and cash flow.
If it’s private, look for media coverage, key customer or supplier relationships, and general market reputation.
Search for red flags: Google the company name alongside terms such as ”liquidation”, ”administration”, ”lawsuit”, ”Fair Work” or ”court”. One result isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but a pattern of issues is worth taking seriously.
Read the employee reviews: Glassdoor, SEEK, Indeed and LinkedIn are all useful here. Ignore the odd one-off negative review and instead look for patterns such as repeated comments about high turnover, poor leadership, or a toxic culture.
Check staff tenure and hiring activity: If you have LinkedIn Premium (or know someone who does), you can look for useful information on the Company Page under the ”insights tab”.
This will include hiring trends, average employee tenure, headcount by function and more.
Look at current and former employees. How long do people tend to stay? Has the leadership team been stable? Are there many recent departures? Are people typically promoted internally?
Is the company hiring because it’s growing, or is it constantly re-advertising the same role? The latter is often a sign of a retention or management problem.
To make this easier, I’ve created a Company Viability Checklist that walks through all of these steps, with space to jot down your notes as you go. Just send me an email if you would like a copy.
Doing your homework on an organisation isn’t about being difficult or distrustful; it’s simply about having all the data to make an informed decision.
Leah Lambart is the founder of Relaunch Me, based in Victoria. She helps people find the work that they were meant to do. She can be contacted at [email protected]. This article first appeared on Leah’s blogsite.
