The Basics
This article assumes that you already know how to evaluate the
economics of a job offer (position, job requirements, salary,
benefits, etc.,), and that you need to make a harder decision
about a company's culture. Next time your potential employer
talks about the "intangible benefits" of working for
the company, keep in mind that this invisible sword cuts both
ways. The grass is not always greener on
the other side of the fence, and if you have to make a
significant sacrifice to take this new job, it pays to do your
homework ahead of time. Before the
interview:
Before walking into the first interview with a company, there
are several crucial items that you'll need to consider.
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How large is the company?
The size of the company is important because it determines
salary ranges, training budgets, work environment, travel,
etc. Smaller companies may require you to have a wider range
of skills, offer more responsibility and authority, and
allow you to work closely with top management. Larger
companies offer a wider variety of lateral transitions
within the company, and allow you to focus on one area of
technical expertise. It also provides a larger peer group
that can be useful for troubleshooting help.
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How long has the company
been in business?
Working for a startup can be fun, fast paced, and offer
some very lucrative profit sharing potential. It can also be
risky in terms of bounced payroll checks, layoffs, or they
may just go out of business. Older, more established
companies can offer more stability, but may also have a
stodgy, out-of-date corporate culture and management
style. Ideally, you want to find an established
business that invests heavily in new technology and their IT
department. Find out how long this company has been around,
if it has changed ownership in the last 5 or 10 years, and
their financial position. Remember that companies
that are going out of business still need to replace
outgoing employees that are leaving in the last few months of
operations.
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Is the company public or
private?
Publicly traded companies are easier to research and keep
tabs on than smaller private companies. Before accepting a
final job offer, research the company carefully to determine
their financial health and industry outlook is for the next
two years. Many public and private company profiles are
available at Hoover's Online, but you should also try to
find a company's annual report and check newspapers and
business publications for any additional
information. This is especially important if the
company is offering stock options as part of their payroll
package. Also be aware that many companies match 401K contributions
in company stock rather than cash - so if their stock
tanks, so do your benefits.
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Is it a family business?
Although family businesses can be more casual and
comfortable than the usual corporate environment, the
politics can get very nasty, and there may be very limited
room for advancement. Power struggles between family members
can ruin even the best companies, and relatives often get
promoted into management over more qualified employees.
Try to find out how many members of the management team are related to
each other, and how many are outsiders. This is especially crucial in
companies where the parents started the company, and then
passed the reigns to their children. Once the parents pass
away, the infighting often begins to escalate as the children
battle each other for control of the company. Even if the company
survives this turmoil, the triumphant sibling may
decide to fire those employees who were loyal to his
rivals.
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How many offices and
locations do they have?
The larger the company, the more likely it is you'll be called
upon to travel between sites or transferred to a new office
hundreds of miles away. To test employee loyalty, many
companies I've worked for have transferred new employees
to distant offices, often requiring an out of state
move. Find out if the company has
offices in other cities, states, or countries, and how long
those offices have been there. Then try to find out how
often they transfer employees between locations. If this is an international
company, find out if they do
business in any third world countries that may be dangerous
for American citizens. Be sure to weigh these factors before
accepting a job offer - especially if own you a home and have a
family.
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Things to find
out during the interview
Don't let an interview be one sided. Employers are impressed by
candidates that ask thoughtful questions during the interview,
but be careful not to seem adversarial. Ask the questions in a
light, friendly tone, and spread them out during the interview.
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Travel Requirements
This can be a sticky issue, depending on the ethics of your
company. Many companies don't count your actual travel time
as work time, and may expect you to be able to drop your
life and fly 1,000 miles away on a 2 day notice. Find out
how much travel is involved, who makes the arrangements, how
compensation is figured, how much lead time you'll be given,
etc. Expect your employer to paint a rosy picture
regardless of what the real situation is, but at least
you'll be prepared.
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Pager Duty/Rotation
Being at your employer's beck and call is not fair if
it's not compensated. Find out if pagers are required, and
what the expected response time is. How is coverage divided?
Is pager duty rotated, or is everyone on call all of the
time? If
you're in a critical position, having a pager is expected.
Getting out of bed 3 to 4 times a week every time a server
hiccups is not. Excessive calls in the middle of the night
and weekends will certainly affect your family.
-
Mandatory Overtime and
"Flex Time"
Don't really expect them to tell you the truth about
this one either. However, if the person doing the interview
is your future boss, it can be an effective negotiating tool
when you eventually get hired. Ask about policies towards
mandatory overtime, and how overtime is handled in their
department. Many companies have
instituted a "comp time" arrangement for
salary employees. For example, if you worked 4 hours
overtime last week, you can take off 4 hours this week. This
doesn't always work out in a busy environment, and it may
lead to disputes over how much time you are owed. If you
make too much noise about it, or accumulate too much comp
time, your boss will be happy to show you the door. Despite your
employer's claims, being a salaried employee does not automatically exempt you from
overtime. Check with your attorney if you have any doubts.
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Availability and quality
of training and education
Some companies have excellent training opportunities and
really invest in their employees. Others have found out that
after they pay for training, employees expect raises for
their new skills and if they don't get them they leave for
greener pastures. So the vast majority will tell you they
offer training, but may not make good on their promises. Try
to determine if training is outsourced or done in-house. Are
all of the training sessions instructor led, or are they
computer/video based? Are there bonuses for receiving
industry certifications?
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What is the work
environment like?
For many companies, this simply means corporate culture
and dress code. If you have to buy a whole new wardrobe just
to work there, be sure to figure that into your salary
estimate. Also consider dry cleaning costs, and other expenses. If
you work for a company that does any kind of manufacturing,
find out if your position will require you to work near
dangerous machinery, chemicals, fire hazards, etc., Large
manufacturing and chemical companies have large industrial facilities
that can be very dangerous for IT personnel who may need to
run cabling, or repair workstations on a factory floor.
-
How current is their
technology
Older companies often run antiquated computer
systems, and may be using custom software. Supporting legacy systems and proprietary applications will do
little for your career outside of the company, and may
impact your future prospects. The best pay and advancement opportunities
belong to the people who keep up with the latest technology.
-
How important is this job
in the company
Being just another cog in the wheel vs. being part of a
technology solution that can save the company millions of
dollars may mean a lot to your future. Consider the possibilities of
promotion, job stress, free time, etc. Find out how your
position contributes to the overall well being of the
company, and think about how comfortable you'll be in that
role.
While you are
visiting...
Interviewing at a
company's office gives you an excellent opportunity to look for
the subtle clues that speak volumes about a company's
commitments to their employees. As an IT consultant, I've
spent the better part of my career working short term contracts at
a variety of companies. This allowed me to stay just long enough to find out
the truth about their work environment. Here's what to look for:
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Meet your boss
As a general rule, people don't quit companies, they quit their bosses. A good
boss is a leader that motivates employees, not a paper
pushing task master who abuses their authority for the sake
of ego. Meet your boss face to face
and try to assess what he/she will be like to work for. Does
he/she look organized and professional, or is the office
cluttered and disorganized? How many pagers are on his/her
belt? Does your boss look like someone you'll get along with
and be able to work with? Or is your boss just biding time until
retirement? How well does your boss understand the
technology you'll be working with? Does your boss
appear trustworthy?
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Visit your actual work
area
You can't always get the corner office, but you should
always make sure to visit the general work area
where you'll be assigned. How old is the building? Is it
well maintained? How big are the work
areas? Is your work area large enough for you
and properly equipped? Is there room for a whiteboard? Will you be assigned a cubicle or an
office? Do you actually have any privacy
(which will affect your productivity)? How quiet is the work environment? Beware of offices
that are next to copier/fax machines, break rooms, conference rooms
and elevators where people will tend to congregate and talk
at all hours
of the day.
-
Check out your co-workers
work spaces
While you're visiting, check
out other employees works spaces. How comfortable are the chairs and desks? How old are the
workstations? Are employees allowed to bring in personal items from
home? Does the atmosphere seem fun and creative, or stiff
and oppressive? Do people look like they enjoy working
there?
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Check for "The
Dilbert Factor"
Where does Scott Adams get so many ideas for his
infamous comic strip? When he started writing his strip, he
was working for a phone company, which often has its own
special brand of mismanagement. Now, he now gets a large part of his material via
e-mail from employees who work for other dysfunctional companies.
I don't think he'll ever run out of material. When walking
around a company, look for the quantity and types of
"Dilbert" comic strips hanging on billboards and
cubicle walls. Ask yourself if the company simply has a
sense of humor, or if people are aggravated with
management.
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Beware the motivational
posters
Oddly, there appears to be an inverse corollary
between the number of "motivational" posters and
slogans hanging on a companies walls and the quality of the
management team. Beware of the company that hang these
things everywhere. They have their time and place, but most
well-run companies have excellence running through their veins
and don't need resort to propaganda to get the message out.
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Visit the cafeteria and
break areas
Not every company has an employee cafeteria; but if they
do, make sure you check out the quality of the food as well
as the cost. This information and the quality of the dining area can tell you a lot
about the corporate culture. Is the food healthy, or is it the
same old lame cafeteria mash? Is the dining area clean and
comfortable? How many food choices are there? Do the
executives eat with everybody else or is there a separate
dining facility? Are you allowed to eat at your desk? Are
there other dining options nearby? Did the company make an
effort to ensure the break areas are comfortable and relaxing, or
did they just throw something together with a minimum of
thought and effort?
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Check the vending machines
If the company is "nickel and diming" their
employees by gouging them at the vending machines, it may be
an indicator that management is looking for any opportunity
to squeeze them in other ways. Companies negotiate with
independent operators to determine the profit from the
vending sales, which determines the price. If they don't
take a profit for themselves, the machines are much cheaper.
Some companies supply and stock their own machines, which
allows them to charge even less.
-
Check the parking lot
There are a number of things to look for in a company's
parking lot. First, check to see if there is a large
difference between the employee lot and the executive
parking. Executive perks are one thing, but how far does
management take it? Two Fortune 500 companies I've worked for had special garages for their executives where a paid attendant
washed their cars every day. The rest of the employees parked
outside in a gravel lot filled with deep ruts and potholes.
Guess what their management style was like? The second thing
to check is the overall quality of the vehicles in the lot.
A majority of newer cars may indicate that employees are doing
well and
have faith that their company is healthy. Expensive luxury
cars in the non-executive area may indicate the value of
profit sharing programs, proliferation of bonuses, and
advancement opportunities.
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Visit the washrooms
This may seem silly at first, but in my experience this
is the acid test for corporate America. I believe you can
tell a lot about a company by the quality and cleanliness of
their employee's bathrooms. I don't mean the bathrooms in a
company's lobby (which are always kept spotless for visiting
clients), I mean the bathrooms in the area where you'll be
actually be working. How well are they maintained? Do
they smell any worse than they need to? If you don't think
the quality of a bathroom makes a difference, go visit the
bathrooms near the offices of any top level executives -
you'll quickly see the difference. How a company allocates
housekeeping and maintenance tasks among its various
departments is an excellent barometer to gauge how they
really value the employees that work for them.
In the first
two weeks...
So you finally accepted the job offer and you start on Monday.
You now have 14 days to find out if your employer lied to you in
the job interview. This gives you enough time to evaluate and
accept another job offer without ever having to put this company
on your resume. In the first week, strive to make as many
friends as possible and be subtle when gathering information.
Don't ask everything on the first day, unless you want to come
across as the Grand Inquisitor. Items you want to follow
up on are:
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Employee turnover
Asking coworkers how long they have held their position and how
well they like the company is a good way to break the ice. The
overall corporate turnover rate says a lot
about the company. The turnover rate within the department
says a lot about your boss.
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Overtime and irregular
hours
Here's a sensitive issue. Almost everyone has to put in a
little extra time during a crisis, or when a project falls
behind. However, if this happens more than once a month, it's the
result of bad management, understaffing, or both. Find out
what the overtime policy really is, and if it really gets
paid out.
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On call demand
Almost every IT employee I know wears a pager and/or a
cell phone. That's not really the issue. The problem arises
when your pager goes off 3-4 times a night after working
hours, and your company expects you answer all pages within
15 minutes even on weekends and days off. If you care about your life and
loved ones, you'll give this issue serious consideration.
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Training time
If your employer told you that they offer technical training
to their employees, find out how many of your co-workers
have actually had the opportunity to take worthwhile
classes. Is the training budget the first thing cut? What is
the overall quality of the training offered? Is the training
done in house or off site? Are there limits to how much
training time you can take?
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Corporate Travel
If your position requires you to travel, find out quickly
how often it's expected (ask your peers, not your boss),
and who makes the travel arrangements. You may not be flying
first class or staying in luxury hotels on business trips, but if you know the
company's preferred airline, hotel chains, and rental car companies
you can get a good idea of what travel will be like. Will you fly
business class or coach? What is the typical rental car
class? Are
the hotels usually close to the work site? What are the
remote sites like? Does the company do a good job when
making arrangements, or would you be better off making them
yourself?
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View of Management
How the rank and file feel about management is an important
consideration. If the general consensus is that upper
management is clueless, they're probably right and it will reflect on the balance sheet sooner or later. Be careful
when gathering this information, and ask these question
indirectly so you don't come across the wrong way. Watch
out for companies that embrace management fads, ridiculous
buzzwords, and useless bureaucracies.
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Ordering supplies
Here's an useful test for a bloated bureaucracy. Find out the company's procedure
for ordering office supplies. A well stocked, easily
accessible supply cabinet is a good indication that the
company trusts their employees to make appropriate decisions
and doesn't micromanage everything. A web based
interface with an automated ordering system that delivers in
less than 24 hours shows technical savvy and the willingness
to streamline processes. If you have to fill out paper
forms, chase managers around for a signature, and then wait
2 weeks for a few pencils, this company probably isn't doing
a good job with the rest of their business processes either.
If you don't happen to need office supplies, pay attention
to the amount of time it takes to receive a network
user and corporate e-mail account.
The bottom
line...
You can't tell enough about a company from a one or two hour
interview to really make an informed decision as to whether or
not you'll enjoy working there. But if you know what to look
for, you can get a much better idea of what the reality is, and
potentially keep yourself from making a mistake you'll regret.
Most people don't find out how bad things really are until after
the first 30 - 60 days of employment. By that time, they are
obligated to "finish out the year" so they don't
appear to be job hopping. Spending a day
or two researching a potential employer can save you a lot of
stress, aggravation, and frustration.
True tales from the field...
Here is a little taste of how bad things can get when you don't
plan ahead...
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A friend of mine got a job
with a prestigious "Big 8" consulting firm that
required all of its employees to dress "two levels higher
than the client." In order to fit in, he spent a small
fortune on new suits which left with him very little money for
day to day expenses. On his first day, he brought a bag lunch
but was told by one of his peers that eating at your desk was
frowned upon at the company. The next day, he went to a local
fast food restaurant and was told "We don't do fast
food" Then he was told flat out that the corporate culture
"required" him to eat at a sit down restaurant, and never be seen "going cheap."
- Anthony A.
Our employee parking lot is a mile away from the building we work in. We are required
to wear suits to work, but by the time we complete 'The Battan
Death March" we're either covered in sweat (during the summer),
rain soaked (in the spring and fall), or frozen to death (in the
dead of winter). Management parks in a heated garage next to the
office. - Greg Y.
A large international oil
company I worked for sent me to South America to install a
server at a remote location. What they didn't tell me until I
arrived was that the local drug lords hate the oil
company, and frequently shoot at the planes as they fly over the
jungle. I had an armed security escort all the way from the
airport in Bogot© to the field station and back. Although the
jungles were beautiful, I'd rather quit than go back. Now I make
sure to ask around before accepting travel assignments. - Bob P.
The technology company I
worked for interviewed me in a nice modern office that is
occupied by their HR department. On my first day, I was taken to
my workspace - 4x4 foot cubicle in an old building
that hadn't been updated since the 1930's. The place stunk from
the old carpet, the "sea-green" paint was peeling, the
plaster from the ceiling was crumbling onto the desks below, and
the air conditioning didn't work. To make it worse, the building
was infested with cockroaches which would often crawl across my
keyboard while I was working. - Craig G.
The large international technology
consulting firm I work for seems to have a policy of
transferring employees to another office more than 100 miles
away within their first year of service. Employees from our
office go to Detroit, and then an employee from Detroit or
Chicago is transferred to our office to fill the empty position.
This "employee shuffle" has become so common, the
running joke is that our company's initials really stand for
"I'll be moving" - Name withheld by request
The Fortune 500 company I work for doesn't have cubicles, just rows and rows of
old steel desks left over from the fifties. (Ever see the movie Gattaca?) There is no privacy and the combination of PC,
keyboard, monitor, and phone on your desk barely leave enough
room for Post-It Notes and a pencil cup. The desks are old and
ratty, and the rough metal edges snag and tear your clothes when
you get up. - Gen Y.
Our company has a Draconian
employee evaluation system where management places you into a
category of either being in the top 10%, the bottom 20% or
somewhere in the middle. The bottom 20% gets the boot if they're
in the category for two quarters in a row or three times in one year.
The top 10% get promoted, and the middle are just stuck. To be
in the top 10%, you have to put in a lot of unpaid
overtime and kiss a lot of butt. After a while, this means the
middle has to work a lot of extra hours just to stay afloat. And,
if you elect to work a 40 hour work week, you're almost
guaranteed to be in the bottom 20%. To save the core team of
guys we have in our department of 20 engineers, our boss hires 2
new guys every 3 months just so he has a bottom 20% to get rid
of. The new guys don't have a clue when they start, and we don't
spend a lot of time socializing with them because we know
they'll be gone in 6 months. - George E.
Our company makes us log the
time we spend each day in 15 minute increments, based on
projects and "cost centers" But there is no cost
center for the time I spend each day filling out the time
reports, looking up project numbers, troubleshooting my PC when
it boots, waiting for someone else who is late for a meeting,
walking to the mail room to pick up a package, etc. If I
complete 3 separate five minute projects within a 15 minute time
frame, I don't know where to bill the time because each project
manager kicks back the item claiming that it doesn't take 15
minutes to complete "X". - Keith B.
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By Bernie Klinder,
January 2000 |
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