It’s finally time.
You are ready to begin your search for a new job.
And hopefully you’ll have some interviews and job offers soon.
During previous interviews, you might have felt as if it were a mistake to mention the possibility of occasionally missing work to tend to family matters. The mere mention of work life balance or time off, seemed to turn the interview in a bad direction.
Even though you weren’t hired for those jobs, you felt lucky.
How comfortable would you have been working there? How could it have affected your family?
Consequently, your question becomes: How can I find an employer who understands the importance of life outside of work and the obligations of my home life? An employer who’s on the same page as me, on these matters.
Here are a few ways to help you research a company and find answers to those questions.
Word of Mouth
Perhaps the easiest method for obtaining employer information is to ask your friends, family, or current associates.
Often times they, or someone they know, will have a story, positive or negative, regarding a current or past employer.
Understand that such stories must be taken as anecdotal, but the information may lead you to investigate further before you commit to an employer.
Job Sites
Until recently, there weren’t many tools available to help a prospective employee find the right employer.
As more information becomes available on the internet, finding information about the working atmosphere of a company is readily available.
When using job sites/boards (such as Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder), you will often find links to employer ratings and comments.
Indeed.com, for example, has links for reviews and learning what it’s like to work for a company, shown next to many job advertisements.
Employer Satisfaction Information
In addition to job sites, databases regarding workplace atmosphere are now available.
For instance, Glassdoor.com has extensive employee reviews detailing workplace atmosphere, job position satisfaction, and potential salaries.
There are also sites available that detail workplace conditions for women (Maybrooks, Fairygodboss), using the perspective of females in a particular position or experience.
What Do You See and Feel?
You can also put your detective hat on and observe what’s happening at the company.
If you see a mostly empty office when you arrive for your 6pm interview, it can be a sign that late work hours aren’t always required.
Do you see family photos on the desks? That may be a sign that the atmosphere is a comfortable, relaxed place to work, and that the company is at least somewhat committed to their employees and their families.
Many modern businesses take pride in their family-friendliness. If the interview process does not include information about a company’s policies regarding family leave, or days off built into the system, that’s probably something to take note of. Lack of a focus on such policies may be a sign of other issues that might arise in their employ. Keep looking.
We all want to find the perfect job. So many facets of your life can be affected by the way you feel about your work, good or bad.
With a little diligence it is possible to find the employer that will see you as more than just an employee, but as a member of a family, yours and theirs.