Working in technology, I’ve had to interview alot. Probably more than the average bear given my penchant in the past for working at venture capital funded companies and start-ups. As anyone who has worked at dot coms or consultancies knows, sometimes good ideas do not translate into good revenue for myriad reasons.
Anyway, as I got older and moved up the food chain, just having a job wasn’t good enough. Even earning more money at the next place could be secondary to what the boss was like, what software development methodology they used, where they were located, comp time, and the list goes on…
One of the most critical things for me deciding on whether a company would be a good fit was “How do they value their employees?” Interviewing goes both ways, meaning, in general, you are on your best behavior but so are they. Finding a job is a chore, but it can be just as much a chore for a group to find the right candidate for a slot. So rarely in the interview process do you find anything but “happy” people. Some are more candid than others, but mainly it’s best foot forward on all accounts.
So how do you know if the company treats it’s employees well and values them? Is the place full of disgruntled people or happy workers?
1) Is the position well paid?
If the company is paying a salary that is at the median or above for the position in your market, they are likely serious about hiring someone who is well qualified. A larger investment in you can signal that your co-workers are also well paid. Being well paid completely eliminates much of the basic negative energy in a company.
2) How much are they willing to kick in for benefits?
Are the benefits modern? To me, modern is:
- 401(k) with a decent percentage of company match
- a vesting schedule that is less than 5 years
- health care for you and your family that is affordable
- at least 2 weeks vacation, a few sick days and common holidays off
- company sponsored continued learning - like seminars, classes or even conventions and trade shows… something that gets you out of the company to interact with peers once a year
Things that say “we value you” even more are bonuses, stock options or incentives above your salary.
If many of these benefits are less than the above or aren’t even available, do you really want to work with them? I realize very small companies have a hard time providing all of these things, but discuss the fact that they don’t exist with them and see what their plans are for either getting you these things or extra compensation to make up for them. But if a company has more than 1000 people and the above is not true, by my experience, they do not value their employees and you will be treated as such. The employees will also know they don’t get these things and others do and it makes for alot of griping.
3) Are the vending machines full price?
Vending machine companies provide kickbacks to places where they sell - many times as high as 30%. Having a high percentage kick back is one of the reasons a public place like a golf course or mall will select a vending company. It’s a very commoditized business in some respects. However, a company can waive this kickback in order to provide the employees with products at essentially cost. If the vending machines are in places the company controls, like the break room where the coffee is, they likely brought the vending company in themselves and control the contract.
Bottom line, if you are paying the same cost as you would at the mall for a soda, the company is likely getting a kickback. That means they are making money off of their employees! I would contend that any company who looks at their employees as a revenue stream does not value them much.
4) Look at the physicals of where you’d work.
This is so important. Is there enough parking close to the building? Do the cubicles look newer and offices look freshly painted and clean? Do the people you meet have personal affects on their walls and desks? Does it smell funny? Is it too cold or hot? Are there burned out bulbs? Do the chairs look old or new and are they comfortable? Are the restrooms dirty?
All of these things can tell you alot about how people think of themselves and their work place. It also tells you that the company is willing to invest in things that keep people happy at work. Which brings me to what I like to call…
5) The “toilet paper test”
Giggle all you want, but let’s face it, there are few things more personal than using the restroom and few things where comfort can be directly impacted. It may sound rediculous, but if a company has prison grade toilet paper, they are only interested in cost. Nothing says “I don’t care” more than single ply 40 grit sandpaper delivered via giganta-huge monster roll. However, if there is soft, better toilet paper someone actually took the time to think past simple cost and the company likely has a philosophy of doing so for all the other little details one can expect at work.
Good luck with any job search you do and make sure to always stop in to the restroom.
