5 Signs of a Good Employer

A job hunt is an exciting and important process. The desire to change jobs is most often reinforced by the search for better conditions, a friendlier team, more interesting tasks, and, of course, a more promising employer.

There are numerous employers in the labor market, including both startups and international giants in various industries. One might think that the easiest way to get into a good workplace is to sign up for vacancies at a large corporation. However, being big and famous does not always equal being good. In some startups, salaries are higher, and colleagues are more friendly. 

There are no ideal companies or employees, and you can find issues and shortcomings at most workplaces. But the ability to separate reliable companies from those that can cause problems is useful. Let's talk about the signs of a good employer; we counted as many as five!

Good and Varied Reviews About an Employer

The very first thing to do before signing an offer is to read reviews about your potential employer. That should help to identify the key pros and cons of the company based on the experience of other employees.

Reviews are not always to be trusted, however:

• Positive feedback from the company may not be true. Businesses often use their own resources (or an agency) to maintain a positive image. It is not always easy to distinguish an honest review from one posted by an employee who was instructed on what to write. If an employer has 500 good reviews of the same type and two bad ones, that can inspire suspicion.

• Negative reviews may be emotional rather than analytical. Unfortunately, former employees are not always objective. For example, a review about a salary delay is probably objective unless the reviewer is lying. However, comments about a toxic team may be less reliable, especially if the claim is not supported in other reviews. Try to distinguish between emotional negativity and objective assessments.

We also recommend paying attention to the details given by former employees. For example, a manufacturing and trading company has three branches: an office, a production facility, and a retail outlet. If you see entirely positive reviews from office and production workers but not from sales employees, the sales management might be worse.

Positive Attitude Toward Applicants

Job interviews are conducted by people, and none of us is immune to bad days, a bad mood, or an issue in the workplace. But one of the main tasks of an HR manager is to win the applicant over. They are supposed to show right away that being a part of the team will be easy and comfortable. If a job interview comes with a dismissive attitude, unprofessional questions, or rudeness, it is a loud warning to stay away from such an employer.

You could argue that it is impossible to draw a conclusion about the entire company from an HR manager alone. However, this person is the first contact for a potential employee with the employer. If a company does not pay due attention to its first impression, it may be inattentive in other matters too.

A positive attitude towards applicants can include honesty, responsiveness, understanding, and empathy. The HR manager should be open to dialogue and not treat you as someone less important. It is especially true for a "turquoise organization," which commits to keeping the organizational structure flat. If the HR managers respects yourself and your time, it is less likely that the team is toxic and more likely that the workplace will be a pleasant environment.

Transparent Payment System

The remuneration system is a sensitive topic for many people. Still, we want to reassure you. The question of payment is as important as discussing conditions, schedules, and professional skills. No one works for an idea or praise, and discussing your earnings at the start is the best thing you can do both for yourself and the employer.

Many companies introduce the "salary + bonus" format, but it is not the most convenient option for an employee. Even with the most successful positioning and high profits, the bonus is always at the discretion of the employer. Therefore, the bonus is an additional source of income but not the actual earnings of an employee. Always look at the salary part — it should correspond to the amount announced at the interview. If they are trying to convince you that the bonus is paid consistently, remember: you risk worrying about your salary every month, quarter, or half a year.

Appropriate Test Task

The least favorite stage for many applicants is checking professional skills as part of a test assignment. With that test, you can find out just how reasonable your future employer is. Of course, such tasks assess the skills and abilities of a future employee. Still, the format of the test should be convenient not only for the employer but also for the applicant.

Very often, potential employees are asked to do a specific task as part of a test assignment: write a text, prepare a presentation, voice promotion ideas, or even make a media plan. These are bad examples of test tasks. Indeed, such work takes a lot of time and requires payment. If an applicant refuses such a task, it does not mean that they are not ready to work for this dream company. It only shows that they value and respect their skills and time.

The employer always has other options to test the applicant:

• Test. There may be both correct answers and variations that would show the applicant's way of thinking.

• Portfolio. It is the ideal proof of experience and skills, and it shows what an applicant has accomplished over the course of their career.

• Paid test task. This way, an employer gets an idea of an applicant’s skills and a few usable products (banners, texts, etc.).

Pay attention to the employer's approach to checking your knowledge; it must remain reasonable and respectful. Otherwise, you can expect overwork, unpaid work weekends, and other unpleasant surprises from them.

Onboarding System

Pay attention to your culture and your hires from the very beginning.

Reid Hoffman, co-founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn

A successful interview is only a part of being hired. No less complex and exciting is the process of onboarding and the probation period. That is when the applicant tests their skills, initiative, and ability to join the team. Unfortunately, an employee cannot do it all through sheer determination. The HR department should have an understandable and reasonable system for helping newcomers to adapt to the workplace.

Such a system can include an initial training course, introductions with  employees, office tours, meetings with managers, and so on. If you are made to try and find your footing without instructions, that is a sign of a bad employer. The argument that adults should be able to figure things out on their own does not apply here. In extreme situations (such as a job change), we all need help.

In Conclusion

Choosing a good employer is not simple. You should read reviews of former employees, pay attention to the HR manager’s behaviors, and discuss payment. You should also check if the test task is reasonable and determine if the onboarding system works well. All these are good indicators of whether your employer is worth choosing.