Employees often wonder how they can screen an employer before applying for a role. As a Career Advisor, one of my goals is to help avoid “buyer’s remorse.” You want to do everything you can to ensure a role is going to be a good, long-term fit, but how do you do that?

Do the research

One of the first things you can do is look at what the current hiring situation of an organization is. Have they recently undergone a merger or significant change impacting headcount? Have they downsized staff recently? Do a lot of people appear to be leaving the organization? These may be red flags.

Then look at independent review sites, such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and Google Reviews, to get a feeling for what staff have to say about the employer. Take some of these reviews with a grain of salt—no employer has no negative reviews—and look at the reviews as a whole. Are they trending higher or lower than average? Are you seeing repeated red flag phrases—such as “poor management,” “overworked staff,” “long hours,” and “no advancement opportunities” —or complaints about compensation? Those may be significant red flags to consider.

Consider your wants and needs

This starts with a personal inventory of your likes and dislikes and what type of work environment is good for you. As we know, not all employers are the same. Have you done a personal assessment of what you like and don’t like about work, management styles, and organizations? 

This can help you really begin to understand if you will sink or thrive in certain work environments. For example, some love government roles, others may find it stifling to their creativity, and that’s OK and good to know so you can find the right fit.

Leverage the interview

The interview will be your main opportunity to screen for fit as well as red flags!

So what should you ask?

Screening questions you could ask in an interview

Why did the last person leave this role? 

Allows you to gauge their honesty.

What are the most difficult challenges you face at work?

Allows you to gain insight into if the interviewer acknowledges there are issues or difficulties to overcome and what steps they’re taking to correct that.

What is your management style?

Shows how the manager perceives themselves and what it might be like to report to them.

Can you walk me through a typical work day in this role? 

Shows if they know the role and deliverables.

Trust your instincts

Usually your first reaction to an organization is correct.

If you felt the interviewer was being disingenuous or not forthcoming in their responses, there’s probably something they’re not telling you. Screening is about relationships, and if you feel this person is not trustworthy from the start, are they a manager or organization you’d like to work for? 

Conversely, if you felt the interviewer was friendly and honest and answered your questions satisfactorily with good examples, then you are probably seeing a true picture of that workplace.

As a final step, conduct a debrief of your interview and write down what you liked, what you didn’t like, and any potential red flags.