10 things to watch out for before taking up that new job

With companies putting their best foot forward to please their potential employees, it becomes imperative for job applicants to know about the working environment to see if they can adjust in such a place.

The times are changing.

Earlier, the job applicants tried to impress the interviewers to get a job.

Little attention was given to the office environment and surrounding factors. But now, it is not just about the role or work.

Equal importance is given to work culture and the environment.

Thus, hiring has become a two-way process.

Just like how the applicant tries to please the interviewer, the companies too are putting their best foot forward to please their potential employees.

Thus, it becomes imperative for the job applicants to know about the working environment to see if they can adjust in such a place.

Well, in most cases, the only time we get to see the work premises is when we go for the interview.

Make use of this opportunity and look out for these ten important things before your interview.

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1. Warm welcome

Did the receptionist greet you nicely?

Were you offered refreshments?

Did they ensure that you were comfortable in their office?

A nice gesture from them at this stage would mean that they do care about impressing their potential employee.

2. Office amenities

Look out for the amenities provided for the employees.

Is there is a good cafeteria? Is the infrastructure good?

Have a look at the meeting rooms, washrooms etc.

Would you love to work in such a place? Run through these questions quickly in your mind.

3. Health and safety

Try to find out if there is any health club or gym area for the employees.

A lot of companies provide yoga/aerobic/gym facilities for good health of their employees.

Look for availability of the dormitories or sick rooms.

Presence of such facilities would mean that the company does care for the employee well-being.

4. Employee happiness

Be a keen observant. Look around for the employees of the company.

Try to get a picture of the situation from the expressions on their faces.

Are they looking too tensed? Are they relaxed and enjoying the work?

Obviously, you cannot decide that from the looks of one or two employees.

5. Employee body language

Try to determine the levels of work pressure from the body language of the employees.

Are they running around with a pile of work?

Do they look comfortable when their boss is around? Are they in a hurry?

In some companies, there is urgency at every second.

Can you cope up with such a culture?

6. Employee interactions

Are the employees friendly with each other?

This is something which requires a lot of observation.

However, if you get this right, you know if the employees will have cordial relations with you or not.

You would know if they will treat you as a friend or just another colleague.

7. Dress code

Is the company liberal with their dress code?

Most of the customer oriented companies place a lot of importance on the dress code.

Will you be comfortable to stay in formals all the time?

Well, many companies do have a so-called cheat day, which is usually the Fridays when employees are allowed to come in informal.

So make sure you have not made your judgement on one of those days.

8. Office layout

Some of the offices have an open layout, while others are closed.

Some have cubicles while others have rows. Look out for the office layout.

At times, this can be one of the important factors for being productive. Some prefer to have a cubicle for themselves. What about you?

9. Work environment

Does it look way too formal for you? Have a look at the desks of the employees.

Are there personal items? Are employees allowed to customise their work area as per their wishes?

Some employees prefer to keep all their personal belongings at their work place to give it a homely touch. Are you one of them?

10. Organised interview

Now that you have checked out all of these, last but not the least, look out for how organised the interview team has been.

Did they start the process on time? Did everything go as per schedule?

If the team messes up the process, it speaks a lot about the office culture in total.

Based on all these observations, it is finally your take if you would like to be a part of this organisation or not.