15 Ways to Spot a Toxic Work Environment Before You Take the Job

Plus, seven questions you can ask to reveal red flags during your interview.
15 Ways to Spot a Toxic Work Environment Before You Take the Job
Image credit: tomazl | Getty Images
Digital Content Director
2 min read

When you apply for a job, you want your resume and interviews to showcase your experience in the best possible light. The companies you’re applying to are no different. From intro calls with hiring managers to the interview with your potential future boss, everyone you talk to wants you to see the best parts of working there — and maybe wants to gloss over the not-so-great parts. 

Every job is going to have positive and negative aspects to it, but a toxic work environment could have serious ramifications on your mental and physical

Related: Important Soft Skills and Leadership Practices for Navigating the Virtual Workplace

In a July article in Harvard Business Review, Manuela Priesemuth, a professor of at Villanova University who studies workplaces, wrote: “My own research has shown that abusive , especially when displayed by leaders, can spread throughout the organization, creating entire climates of abuse. Because employees look to and learn from managers, they come to understand that this type of interpersonal mistreatment is acceptable behavior in the company. In essence, employees start to think that ‘this is how it’s done around here,’ and this manifests itself in a toxic environment that tolerates abusive acts.”

Extricating yourself from a toxic workplace is hard, though, because it involves starting the job search all over again. It’s better to avoid an abusive office environment in the first place. 

Resume.io researched some of the classic warning signs you should look for when interviewing for a job, as well as seven questions you can ask to reveal if a workplace is toxic or not. Read through the infographic below to see what to look for. 

INFOGRAPHIC HERE

Related: How Leaders Can Discuss Race in the Workplace

More from Entrepreneur

Get heaping discounts to books you love delivered straight to your inbox. We’ll feature a different book each week and share exclusive deals you won’t find anywhere else.
Jumpstart Your Business. Entrepreneur Insider is your all-access pass to the skills, experts, and network you need to get your business off the ground—or take it to the next level.
Entrepreneur Store scours the web for the newest software, gadgets & web services. Explore our giveaways, bundles, "Pay What You Want" deals & more.

Latest on Entrepreneur