It’s no secret that many Filipino employers are guilty of unethical practices. While Philippine work culture has undoubtedly improved somewhat in this regard, you won’t have to look far for examples of employers you probably don’t want to be working for.
If you encounter these situations during your research, at your job interview, or during site visits take some time to reconsider your job application. While they might not necessarily mean anything, if more than a few of the situations below come up, you might want to work elsewhere.
1.) The employer did a bait and switch
Be very careful if the interviewer suddenly interviews you for an opening you didn’t apply for or if you are given an offer substantially lower than advertised. If they advertised one thing on the job listing but are offering you something else, who knows what other unethical practices the management at the company is comfortable doing?
2.) You can’t find much information on the company
This may mean that the company is new or has been unable to make any waves in their industry. These can be opportunities for the right people or red flags for those who can’t take much risk.
3.) Most public information about the company is negative
It’s usually expected that an organization will have its share of ups and downs throughout its lifetime. But if all you can find in your research are news items that aren’t so flattering, you may want to reconsider accepting their offer.
4.) The company will take your career in a direction you don’t want
If you have a very specific goal in mind for your career, you should feel free to reject job offers that force you to compromise them too much. After all, the 20-30 years you spend in the workforce will go by faster than you expect, and you can’t always afford to have too many detours in your career path.
5.) The employer is disrespectful
Disrespect can happen in any number of ways. It can be the interviewer being late and forcing you to wait several hours for an interview that they themselves set or maybe an indecent comment made about your physical appearance. If the interviewer is somehow disrespectful, you can expect to encounter that kind of disrespect daily at your job, should you accept the job offer.
6.) People at the worksite look miserable
Sometimes, people’s faces say it all. If you visit the job site and the workers all look unhappy, with no smiles or banter, it might not be the best place to work.
7.) There are inconsistencies in different interviewer’s expectations
If through your different job interviews at a company, you find that the interviewers all have a different idea about what you’re supposed to do, you will probably find that you will be forced to do a lot of things outside of your scope. While this may be normal for very small companies or startups, this can be a sign of disorganization or unprofessional practices in a larger business.
8.) They have high turnover rates that can’t be explained
It’s normal for some types of companies to have high turnover rates, particularly in the service industry. But if the interviewer can’t be frank about employee turnover or give an acceptable reason for it, you might want to reconsider the job offer.
9.) The interviewer can’t answer the question “do you like working here?”
One of the most important questions you can ask the interviewer is if they like their job. This might confuse or catch some interviewers off-guard but their answers can give insights into what working at the company might be like. Of course, this doesn’t work if the job interviewer also happens to be the business owner.
Conclusion
Not every job is worth the salary you’ll be given. It’s important to be able to recognize the warning signs as early as possible so that you could focus your attention on the job openings you deserve.
Speaking of job openings, be sure to consult a top-rated Philippines job search website, like Mynimo.com. Mynimo’s localization features and layout make it easy to find the best careers, right in your hometown.
