Is your office toxic? The workplace 'red flags' you need to be aware of NOW - from micro-management to a 'high performance' culture
- Psychologist Sabina Read listed the workplace 'red flags' to be concerned about
- Micro-management and a high workload were mentioned
- When being interviewed for a new role it's important to ask about work culture
When being interviewed for a position, psychologist Sabina Read (pictured) said it's important for candidates to ask about the position and work culture
Micro-management, a high workload and taking on multiple roles are among the top workplace 'red flags' Aussies are most concerned about when starting a new position.
When being interviewed for a role, psychologist Sabina Read from employment marketplace SEEK said it's important for candidates to ask about the work culture.
'If you like to work in niche or specialist roles, then buyer beware if you're being asked to undertake a wide variety of tasks or be jack of all trades,' she said.
'And if you value time away from your job, then taking a new role which is heavy in overtime or out of hours work may spell disaster for you.'
According to research conducted by SEEK, over half (51 per cent) of respondents would not have even accepted the role if they had seen these red flags during the interview process.
1. Micro-management
Of the 500 people surveyed by SEEK, 31 per cent deemed micro-management as the number one red flag to watch out for.
Micro-management is a term used to describe when a boss or senior employee keeps a close eye on workers to ensure the work gets done.
Ms Read said this type of management can 'dial down the effort and pride' workers inject into tasks, and can leave them feeling controlled, distrusted, disrespected, and dissatisfied.
'Some of us might start to question why we have been offered the role if our manager needs to be involved at every step of the way,' she said.
'We are hard-wired to learn, challenge ourselves and grow - and micromanagement can water down these needs, even resulting in resignation for some.'
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2. Wearing too many 'hats' within the organisation
You should consider how often you are being ask to take on tasks or responsibilities beyond their job description, as this can negatively impact your work load and stress levels.
31 per cent of employees believe wearing too many 'hats' at work is just as bad as being micro-managed.
'If you're consistently taking on extra work which doesn't contribute to your growth or development, then it could negatively impact your capacity to focus on the current role, and career goals you've set,' Ms Read said.
'What matters most is that you're mindfully deciding the scope of your role, rather than being dragged in a direction that's not in line with your vision.'
Micro-management is a term used to describe when a boss or senior employee keeps a close eye on workers to ensure the work gets done. Ms Read said this type of management can 'dial down the effort and pride' workers inject into tasks (stock image)
3. Lack of boundaries between personal and professional life
With more people now working from home, the boundaries between work and personal life often become blurred.
Ms Read said the increased reliance on mobile technology creates pressure to be 'always on' more than ever before, which can cause workers to feel resentful, eroded, overwhelmed, and at risk of burning out.
Of those surveyed by SEEK, 22 per cent believe a lack of boundaries between personal and professional life is another workplace red flag.
4. A high performance culture
When we work in a high-performance culture, there may be an expectation to go above and beyond every single time to achieve goals regardless of how we the feel, Ms Read said.
High-performance business cultures are a set of strict behaviours encouraged by work leaders or managers to help employees work as efficiently and effectively as possible over a short period of time - usually for a reward.
This can vary from making all customers happy in a retail setting to hitting deadlines early or on time in an office environment.
'A high-performance culture can initially appear exciting, but over time being rewarded for stretching ourselves at every turn can become competitive and exhausting,' she said.
This can ultimately lead to swapping short-term adrenalin rush for high levels of longer-term anxiety and stress.
When we work in a high-performance culture, there may be an expectation to go above and beyond every single time to achieve goals regardless of how we the feel (stock image)
5. High workload
If you begin to feel fatigued or stressed at work it's likely your workload might be beyond your capacity.
For this reason, it's important to keep in touch with how you're feeling while working and consider if it's worth talking to your boss about it.
'If you often feel you need to take a break to 'get away', it's likely the overall load is too great,' Ms Read said.
'Feeling fatigued, stressed, and like there is little respite can lead to fatigue, resentment and result in lower levels of productivity and work satisfaction.'
