Finally! Rather than flooding you with all the right things to do and say as an employer – which is mostly the norm you see out there, I would be discussing the 5 things you should absolutely watch out for in an ideal employer.
So, who is an ideal employer?
The ideal employer is not an individual. Nope. An ideal employer is a company that has the right values, culture and environment. It should be a company that you can trust and whose values align with your own. An ideal employer should be transparent, fair and consistent. They should also be willing to invest in their employees’ growth and development. This does not in any way suggest that these should be the only or main focus of the employer, as it’s in the business of making money and growth itself.
Employers who give their employees opportunities to learn new skills, set challenging goals and progress through the company are more likely to achieve better results because they have a strong employee engagement culture. These sets of employers possess the following:
- They have a clear vision.
- They have the right people.
- They have the right processes in place.
- They are profitable and growing and not bankrupt.
- They are a healthy business.
5 things you should absolutely watch out for in an ideal employer
When you’re job hunting, looking for all the available vacancies shouldn’t be the top most and only priority. Do some research about the company. Look up their website, social media pages, social network and forums. Dig up as much as you can. Here are 5 things to absolutely watch out for.
1. The company’s values
When looking for an ideal employer, it is important to be aware of the company’s values. Values are the principles that an organisation lives by and strives to promote. They are statements about what the organisation believes in and how it wants to be viewed by its customers, employees, and the community.
Values can play a major role in determining how an employer treats its employees. For example, a company that values creativity and innovation may be more likely to offer opportunities for growth and development. On the other hand, a company that values fiscal responsibility may place a high importance on employee productivity. Same goes for companies that are focused on wellness; they offer their employees a healthier lifestyle and a good work-life balance.
If you’re looking for something more than just a job — whether it’s an opportunity to grow your skillset or be part of something bigger than yourself — find out what kind of culture exists there first before applying.
2.The Work/Life Balance
When searching for an ideal employer, it is important to be aware of the pros and cons of working for that company. It can be tough to strike the right balance between work and life, but it’s important to try to find a way to make it work. If you’re struggling to find a good balance, there are a few things you can do to get started. First, make sure you understand what your priorities are. Once you know what’s important to you, you can start setting boundaries for yourself.
Your employer would offer you some sort of flexibility, especially when you are pulling in your weight. An ideal employer should be willing to adjust and or improve its policies and practices in order to accommodate your needs as a worker. For example, as a new parent, you may want to get off work early.
3. Opportunities For Growth And Development
Growth and development are two of the most important things you can do as a worker.
You may not realise it, but your career is a long-term project that you’ll be working on for decades—and it’s up to you to make sure it’s a success. The first step towards achieving this goal is learning how to grow and develop yourself. This means taking time to consider what kind of person you want to be in five years, and then setting out to achieve those goals in the present day. This should have to coincide with your job or the job you are applying for.
4. The team
When finding a job it is important to get an idea of what kind of team you would be working with. This will help you decide whether the company is right for you and if it’s going to be a good fit for the long run.
A great company is one that has a team of people who are all working together toward a common goal. It’s important to find out if the company values teamwork and collaboration, or if it’s more like a place where everyone does what they’re told to do and doesn’t get much feedback.
It’s also important to know how many employees are on the team, as well as what kind of jobs they have. Is it just one person doing all the work? Or is it a team effort?
A team is one of the most important aspects of any job. It is the one thing that can make or break your experience at a company. The right team can help you grow and learn new skills, while a bad one can be frustrating, time consuming and even dangerous to your health.
It’s important to find out about the type of team you’ll be working with before you even start looking for jobs. 5 things to watch out for in the team:
- The size of the team
A big team means more responsibilities, but also more opportunities for growth and development. A smaller team might not allow for much in the way of personal growth because it’s more focused on growing the company.
- How many members does it have?
You want to know how many people will be on your team when you join so that you can decide whether this is something that interests you or not. If there aren’t enough people on board, then it could mean that they don’t have enough work going on at any given time or they might not be very good at communicating with each other (which would make it difficult for those who speak different languages).
5. Salary & Benefits
Let’s be honest: you’re probably not going to get what you want out of your salary alone. You would need a benefits package to compliment it.
If you’re like me, you’ve been thinking about this question for some time. So I decided to do some research and find out what companies offer their employees in order to make those employees want to work there. I looked at the salary and benefits package, the company culture and values, the team that works there, and whether or not there are any other perks or benefits.
The first thing I found both from research and experience is that having a salary and benefits package is not enough to make someone want to work for a company. You also have to look at all of these other things combined with them, because they don’t all happen at once. For example: if the salary is low but your benefits are high (like health insurance, commissions, flexible clock-in hours, leaves & off days, regular training & programs, paid holidays, etc.), then maybe the offer would be enticing enough for you to accept or remain with the company, as it allows you to have a side hustle, build a career or simply have time for yourself. But if the salary is low and the benefits are also low, then maybe it’s not worth it.
The package as a whole should be analysed before making any decisions about whether or not working at that company would be worth it for you.
Job hunting isn’t easy, especially if you’re desperately searching for one, but we should endeavour to look before we leap and watch out for these points outlined above. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Until next time, be good and be you!