Contents
- 1. No one introduced you to other colleagues and did not help you get comfortable
- 2. You witnessed inappropriate behavior that no one stopped
- 3. Colleagues gossip in front of you about other employees.
- 4. You found out that no one stays at this job for more than a few months.
- 5. The company prides itself on values that should not be proud of.
- 6. Your job expectations are radically different from reality.
- 7. By the end of the first day at work, you think about the second with horror.
Yes, another article about toxicity, but it’s really important to notice the “red flags” and respond quickly to them. Even if it means that you have to quit from the job you just got, because the more time passes, the harder it will be to leave.
“Why, after realizing that a toxic atmosphere reigns in a new workplace, many of us are in no hurry to quit? It’s simple: we tend to think it’s an accident, «I just got unlucky or it seemed» or someone will definitely do something about it, ”explains leadership expert Mary Abbajai.
We stay and very soon face the negative consequences of the decision: we are constantly stressed, because of which we sleep worse, our mental health suffers, and our self-esteem drops. And most importantly, it begins to seem to us that this is our maximum and they won’t take us to other places.”
If the problem still doesn’t seem big enough to you, here are some numbers: according to a study by Jeffrey Pfeffer (Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University), in the US, 8% of annual health care costs are due to the consequences of poor management. It is also associated with 120 premature deaths each year.
That’s why it’s so important to trust your gut and not ignore the alarm bells that may sound on your first day at work. For example, the following.
1. No one introduced you to other colleagues and did not help you get comfortable
In normal companies, «old-timers» tend to help the newcomer get to know everyone and get up to speed. If people act like they don’t care (or are too busy and don’t have time for you), this is a clear sign that something is wrong with the company and its corporate culture.
Coach Gregory Tall believes that This also applies to remote work.. If no one even tries to explain to you what’s what, does not try to walk you through current tasks and prepare you for the first call on zoom, this is a bad sign.
Most likely, it’s not about you personally: maybe people are just tired of pretending that they like working at this company, so they don’t even bother to say phrases like “we are so glad that you joined our team.”
2. You witnessed inappropriate behavior that no one stopped
If on the very first working day you see that someone humiliated, insulted, hurt someone — it doesn’t matter, a colleague or a client — and he didn’t have anything for it … This is a completely bad sign. And it’s really bad if your immediate supervisor does not stop rudeness.
After all, this is the main difference between stressful and toxic environments: in the latter, it is considered normal to disrespect people — yell at them, devalue their experience, ignore requests.
Worst of all, this behavior is contagious. This means that if you remain a witness to it long enough, you can begin to behave in the same rude and hostile way (and a number of experiments prove this).
3. Colleagues gossip in front of you about other employees.
Such behavior is an indisputable sign that it is customary in the team to slander, gossip, weave intrigues, and possibly even incite each other. You hardly want to work for such a company, right?
4. You found out that no one stays at this job for more than a few months.
Of course, there are companies and positions for which turnover is normal, but you should find out about this at the interview. If the manager or recruiter kept silent about this and you found out about what was happening only on the first working day, such a beginning does not bode well.
“Most of the time we stick to our jobs. Since your predecessors quit after a few months, it could be some kind of global system ‘bug’,” Toll explains.
5. The company prides itself on values that should not be proud of.
In the very first working days, we, as a rule, learn not only about the official mission of the organization, but also about what is generally considered important in it, even if they don’t talk about it loudly. It is worth paying close attention to such information and comparing it with your values.
For example, you can find out that you are in a «strong male team, ready to break everyone.» If this approach to work is not close to you, it is unlikely that you will be able to fit in and feel comfortable.
6. Your job expectations are radically different from reality.
At the interview, having outlined the range of tasks, you were promised one thing, but in reality everything is different: you are either forced to do something that you didn’t sign up for, or work more, or get less money. What does it say? That you should not cling to the thought that «this is just such a period, everything will change soon.» Perhaps it won’t change.
Maybe the company lacks qualified personnel and specialists are forced to perform other people’s tasks in addition to their duties. It is important to understand whether you are ready for this — there is a risk that by devoting too much time to such work, you will lose really important skills and lose your qualifications.
7. By the end of the first day at work, you think about the second with horror.
If you feel sick at the very thought that you will have to work with the same people tomorrow, and in a week, and in a month, and in a year, you should listen to your feelings — and, as an option, “do your feet” until late.
It is clear that circumstances are different and sometimes we desperately need any work, just to pay the bills. But if the situation allows, then the choice of place and especially the team should be taken as carefully as possible: after all, these are people with whom you have to spend at least 40 hours a week.