5 Red Flags To Look Out For When You’re Job Hunting

A job listing might look really promising at first glance, but there are some red flags you need to look out for:

Negative reputation

Before applying for a job, you need to get the inside scoop on the company’s reputation. Even if you hear the faintest whisper of negativity, you need to take it seriously. So, listen to what other people in the industry are saying. You should also take a look at:

• Glassdoor reviews. Look at the overall rating and delve into the most recent reviews for some real insight. It’s likely you’ll come across the odd negative review, and that’s fine. After all, you can’t keep everyone happy. But just make sure you look out for any alarming patterns that indicate chaotic management, poor work life balance, or a toxic work environment etc.  
• Recent news articles to see if any controversies are mentioned. 

Sky high salaries

A mind-blowing salary can sometimes be a red flag. If salaries outpace the company’s ability to generate profits, it’s a warning sign that the business might not be built on a solid foundation. We’ve seen businesses throw lots of cash into securing the right person for the job, only to make the role redundant after 3 months. So, while it’s easy to get swayed by a glamorous salary, just make sure you’ve also considered the overall health and stability of the company. 

High staff turnover

More often than not, a high turnover means there are issues with the work environment, management, or company culture. If you’ve got LinkedIn Premium, head straight over to the company’s LinkedIn page to find out the ‘median tenure’ for their employees. A short median tenure isn’t always something to be alarmed about straight away. Take us for example – we’re a relatively young business, so of course our median tenure isn’t going to be 5 years because we’ve not been running for that long. But if it looks disproportionately low, you need to do a little more digging. If you don’t have LinkedIn Premium, go to the ‘People’ tab on the company LinkedIn page to do some snooping there:

A vague job description

Simply put, a lack of clarity leads to misunderstandings down the line. The last thing you want is to end up in a role where your skills are mismatched with the actual job requirements. You need to get a clear picture of the role’s responsibilities and expectations so that you can do the job properly. So, if a company is unwilling to nail down the job description, we suggest you steer clear. 

It sounds too good to be true

Pay attention to anything that seems too good to be true. Like promises of rapid promotions, or effortless success. A reputable company will be transparent about the challenges and opportunities of the job. They won’t try to lure you in with an unrealistic presentation of the position. That’s not to say you should immediately discount a job because it sounds too good – we’re just saying you need to do your due diligence. 

If you’re still on the hunt for your perfect job opportunity, check out our digital, marketing, and eCommerce jobs today.

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