Looking for a job is tough! Although you desperately want one, there are many things to consider, especially if you’re juggling single parenthood and your professional life. My top suggestion is to research a company’s corporate culture stringently before applying for a position. In my experience, the culture makes a definitive difference in your job satisfaction and ability to fill a role in the most productive way possible. Here are a few questions to ask while you’re researching.
What Is the Company’s Work-Life Balance Policy?
We all know maintaining a good work-life balance boosts productivity. What’s admirable in some companies my friends and acquaintances work for is how happy they seem when away from work. One buddy even gets time off to watch his kids play sports on weekday afternoons. These flexible schedules and positive work cultures allow more enjoyment away from the office and show their bosses support their personal lives.
Flexible brands promoting positivity consider their workers’ work-life balance and support their healthy after-work endeavors. So get online — visit the company website, LinkedIn page and social media channels. You can likely get a lot of insights from LinkedIn and social media connections.
They might work somewhere you’re considering applying to or have mutuals who do. Sound them out and find out more.
Do the Current Employees Seem Engaged?
You can immediately know what’s most important to an organization by visiting its website. My alarm bells start ringing if a business has a super-formal site with only statistics. This doesn’t mean the company has an unhappy workforce, but including information on staff achievements and their smiling faces in photos is evidence of engagement, meaning more passionate employees who care about their employer’s success.
Don’t assume things from the corporate site alone, though — visit the social media pages and chat with staff via LinkedIn for more accurate perspectives. You can gauge engagement by seeing it online. Many more informal corporations publicly promote their positive workplace culture, so you’ll gain insight into where you’re considering applying.
How Safe Is the Workplace?
As a single dad, you’ll feel happier being safe at work. We’re providers, and always being healthy for our kids is non-negotiable. Workplace wellbeing plays a huge role in ensuring this, so research the safety policies of possible employers.
What are their safety standards? Are they OSHA compliant? Explore their policies, training programs and hazard preparation to get an idea of how seriously they take the well-being of their employees. A company committed to safety contributes to a healthier and more confident working environment.
Ask Insightful Questions During an Interview
I’d try not to get too involved with asking questions as a job applicant, as brands design interviews to learn more about you. However, asking none can create an adverse impression on the interviewer, so having at least a few is a good idea. Make those insightful, though — hiring managers expect questions about company culture and usually value forethought and prior research from applicants.
Rather than go overboard, ask a few probing questions to add to your previous research. Ones like “Will there be much interaction with my immediate superior or leadership?” and “What types of team building activities does the company offer?” give hiring managers some perspective about what’s important to you.
They also need to answer them in ways that define corporate policy. You could ask what flexibility means to the company to prompt an answer about work-life balance.
Watch people’s body language when they answer questions, as this can reveal more about their answers than words alone do. Observe if your interviewer seems to change, potentially becoming unsettled or nervous when answering your targeted questions. If their responses are heartfelt and positive in word and body, you’ll know openness and transparency exist.
An Exceptional Corporate Culture Can Define a Role’s Worth
You’ll know a good job opportunity that will benefit you and your child if you research it beforehand. You’ll learn what’s necessary to guide your job-hunting decisions and continue juggling successfully in a new position.
Jack Shaw is the senior lifestyle writer at Modded with and a single father with a special interest in navigating the ins and outs of being a parent. As fathers, the work we put in isn’t always recognized, but it’s absolutely essential to the health and well-being of our children. You can find more of Jack’s work in publications like Tiny Buddha, Daddy’s Digest, Parent.com and more. Contact him via LinkedIn.
