Earlier this month I shared quantitative data from my latest Data Collection Project focusing on how people identify, respond to, and learn from red flags they observed in organizations. View the inaugural quantitative data.
This report follows the first part, offering qualitative data from the participant group (N=20).
- Share details about the experience:
- “During the job interview process, I asked the assembled staff in a group interview to tell me what they enjoyed most about the work. No one could answer this simple questions. They all shifted around uncomfortably. Not a one could pretend that they had a good thing to say! Eventually one told me they liked the school related bus pass!”
- “I noticed that rather than having open meetings, our supervisor would meet with us individually or in small groups before the official meeting. This prevented us from having an open discourse and working cooperatively.”
- “Being mistaken for another BIPOC staffer and getting sent their interview details at another library/branch, reporting a hate crime and being given confidential info of others that had reported hate crimes: mistaken as case worker, being told it’s that departments responsibility there’s nothing we can do when asking for more accessibility.”
- “Only virtual interviews offered to mask organizational problems & to allow HR personnel to monitor all staff interactions with the candidate. Required to accept position before brought to campus. NEVER will do this again.”
- “Within a month of my first day as a manager, at least two people had said to me “Oh, you’re new to [urban library system]? They [your staff] are going to put you through your paces,” Meaning that my staff would intentionally make things hard for me. The people who said this to me were a Public Safety Officer and a peer (branch manager).”
- “I became aware during the interview that there was a particular staff member that the interviewers did not want me to meet. When pressed, they avoided my questions about the person and position.”
- If you observed/experienced a red flag during a job interview process, how did that recognition help or challenge you during your job search?
- “I recall a previous job where I was intensely grilled about workplace conflict in the interview, it felt like I as the candidate was being examined under a microscope. I later found out after getting the job that this library had a history of interpersonal issues. I found it interesting how much this was being projected in the interview process, treating potential hires as if they were the problem instead of looking within at the culture.”
- “It was clearly a bad place to work, so it helped me to avoid the job.”
- “I didn’t recognize the all-virtual interview as a red flag, because I thought the institution was still taking measures against COVID-19. This was a blatant lie, as other units on campus were holding on-campus interviews at the same time. Two years later and every position is hired virtually only.”
- “I had sent my resume and cover letter into the directors email as stated on the job listing. When I followed up a week or so later the director asked me to please email my resume and cover letter because the first copies had been misplaced.”
- What lessons or takeaways did the red flag(s) reveal to you?
- “I now have a much better sense of what to look out for when I am in the position of job seeker. If I start to observe/encounter things that trigger my low morale experiences, I have learned that HR is not a friend and it is best to seek new employment as soon an possible.”
- “It’s good to be able to identify these red flags, even if you need to accept the job despite them. Know that the culture predates your arrival and that you are unlikely to change it.”
- “Just as in interpersonal relationships, a supervisor attempting to control your communication is a warning sign of abuse. The person who excludes you or limits your official speech may be misrepresenting you to others as a form of control.”
- “After rationalizing/ignoring the red flags and enduring the subsequent abuse, I learned to trust my gut and judgment about what is acceptable. I’ve realized that working in a culture that generally aligns with my values is critical to my mental wellbeing.”
- “I learned to find enjoyment and fulfillment outside of work.”
- “I shouldn’t ignore the negative things people bring to my attention, thinking they would resolve or go away. The toxic environment didn’t exist only in my branch, it was pervasive throughout the system.”
- “Trust no one. Human resources serves the organization, not the employees. If you are mobbed, get out asap.”
- “Listen to your instincts. Everything is connected. If someone has one major issue ( it probably effects everything else. Libraries more than some other types of organizations are really ecosystems. Disorganization at the top will trickle down to every other thing.”
- Please share anything else you’d like about seeing/experiencing red flags at an organization and how you responded:
- “I tried for 5 years to serve as a buffer. While I had some success at protecting others from the horrible director, it cost me dearly. I’ve been given an unofficial diagnosis of PTSD by my physician. My stress levels were so high that it actually affected my physical health too. I found myself in an almost constant state of fight-or-flight resulting in painful inflammatory response. As soon as I left the job, my health began to improve.”
- “I was a victim of retaliation from a staff member. There was clearly more support thrown behind defending that staff member and it was disheartening. I took a pay cut and moved across the country to get the bullying to stop.”
- “Workers called it ‘the big house’…you know, like prison.”
- “When they came up I had thought I was overreacting.”
- “More than a year after leaving the organization, I am angry and still seeking justice.”
- “Keep myself informed about laws and policies to protect myself.”
If you’d like to share your red flag experiences and lessons, participate in the ongoing data collection project. I’ll share updates periodically.
