CAREERTIPS: Top 10 red flags Hardhat Professionals look out for from potential employers

Construction and Built Environment Professionals share the RED FLAGS that they look out for before accepting job offers from potential employers.

1. High staff turnover

Make sure at the interview you ask the question why the position is vacant, you will learn a lot. If it seems it’s been tough to retain someone in the job or the company has several open roles they’re replacing, probe deeper. You won’t likely get the whole truth, but this will give you a sense of what is goin on. This is a warning sign that you’ll likely be in another job search soon if you accept this offer. Employees do not leave companies, they leave managers.

2. A rush job

A long winded recruitment process can be frustrating and nobody wants that but if you find the process moving much faster than you anticipated, explore why. Both hiring a candidate and accepting a new position are big decisions and most employers and job seekers want to get as much information as possible to make an informed decision. If you feel rushed, ask to slow the process down so you can gather more information, and be very wary if this request is rebuffed.

3. No written contract.

Employment is a contract and terms should be outlined in writing. If an employer is hesitant to put key details like salary, benefits and other agreed upon perks into a signed letter or other type of formal agreement, you shouldn’t count on those promises materializing. Even if made with good intentions, bosses leave, conversations are forgotten and power dynamics shift. Without a paper trail, your expectations are just wishes.

4. Future promises.

Although building in future agreements such as termination clauses and performance bonuses can be a smart way to negotiate an offer, be careful of future promises without merit. Sometimes hiring managers make commitments they don’t have the power to keep in order to entice a candidate to sign on. Be sure you understand the rationale for the agreements, core timelines and what you need to accomplish specifically for these terms to come to fruition. Also, get it in writing.

5. Vague descriptions.

For your own sanity and success, before accepting any offer clarify as clearly as you can what the expectations are for the role, including concrete milestones, ownership of processes and anticipated obstacles. If these aspects are hazy at the initial stages, don’t be surprised when your first year is spent defining your job versus performing the work you anticipated.

6. Unprofessional recruiting process.

Companies expect job seekers to master Olympic level gymnastics to even get an interview and the time invested by candidates only seems to be increasing. Then, you get ghosted. It’s disrespectful and you’d think companies would be embarrassed at how they’re treating potential employees, and possibly future customers. While it’s not always a clear correlation, pay attention to how you’re treated during the hiring process because this likely reflects the values of the organization and can hint at how you’ll be treated as an employee.

ALSO READ: Top 1O red flags employers look out for from Hardhat Professionals

7. Culture clash.

There’s plenty of research showing that alignment with culture helps employees to be more effective. While you shouldn’t change who you are to fit in, explore the unwritten norms and rules during the hiring process to understand if it feels like a welcoming place to work for you. Even the seemingly perfect job can be a nightmare in a bureaucratic system or on a team that is incessantly micromanaged. Culture is deep-rooted and hard to change, so ask yourself if you want to spend time doing your best work, or using your energy to fight the system.

8. Lack of or outdated online presence

You can learn a lot about how a company operates by evaluating their overall online presence. To do this, keep an eye on how their website and social media fair in comparison to competitors and general industry trends. An outdated or lack of social media presence are just a couple of company red flags to take note of. On their own, they may seem like minor issues—however, these can be signs that the company is not investing in the latest technology or staying up-to-date with industry trends.

9. Lack of professional development opportunities

Professional development opportunities should be another area that you pay close attention to throughout your job search. Specifically, ask questions about ongoing training, mentorship opportunities, continuing education policies, or leadership initiatives to get a better sense of what your employer will offer to develop your skills on the job. If your interviewer cannot outline concrete ways the company can help you learn and grow in your role, you might want to think twice about working there.

10. Salaries not paid on time

If in doubt, do some research to find out if salaries are paid on time, consistent salary payments will keep and save you from bad credit records and while.

CAREERTIPS are compiled with the input from both industry employers and Professionals

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