How to assess the fairness, decency of a prospective new employer from an AS perspective ?
I wondered if others had experience with trying to assess the social health of a prospective new employment situation as a prospective employee. Can you really tell if you are going to be treated decently by a new employer, before making the decision to accept a job? What can you ask or say, while in dialogue with a prospective employer, to find out whether they are decent people or bastards, (or somewhere in between?)
In my current job I have experienced sustained mild verbal bullying by the owner-director. At my interview for this job, the owner and his wife stressed that they had a strongly worded anti-bullying policy - which they do have. But at the time, I didn't consider the possibility that they themselves would prove to be the principal transgressors of that policy.
In my previous job, I was the victim of backstabbing by peers and managers. In both cases, I believe the social docility, social naievity and social detachment/ withdrawal that are a consequence of having AS have caused me to be seen as 'bullyable' in the workplace.
I am on the point of applying for yet another job, and find that I am losing sleep over it, because I don't want to make a duff decision and clamber from fryingpan to fire as regards workplace bullying. This position is an unusual one in that it involves being stationed on a remote island during the week, with a few others, engaged in forestry activities, so it has some similarities with being an astronaut or sailor in the social-interaction sense. I have not as yet even submitted an application for this particular position.
Assessing a Situation
This is a very important question, and answering it effectively can prevent significant difficulties going forward.
In the past, I have insufficiently researched companies even though I talk about the need to do so quite extensively in my book.
There are three points which I think are pertinent:
i) Culture
Try to find out as much as you can about the culture of the organisation. Not always easy, especially in the case of small companies, but a quick "google" can uncover a lot of information.
If you read between the lines on this, it can divulge a lot: does the company seem to experience high instability in terms of operation, is the market is works in volatile, is there a high level of staff turnover or are there a lot of negative stories circulating around it.
ii) Past Employees
Try to identify and speak to these. I know of someone who has just had to leave a company because she has been - in effect - constructively dismissed.
There is apparently a group of ex-employees that meets regularly. The raison de etre for the group, and the common factor that binds them, is the way they have all been [badly] treated!
It seems that the company's policy is to hire people for nearly a year and then dismiss them just beforehand before they accrue full employment rights.
Most people will provide an indication of what they feel or think about a company. Again, it may be necessary to infer a little and it is important to objectively appraise any opinion to remove the sour grapes factor.
iii) The Man at the Top
This applies to the manager you will be reporting into. This, for me, is hugely important for someone with Asperger syndrome. I believe you simply have to have a strong working relationship with them for numerous reasons: support in general, political guidance, deflecting criticism from others.
The man at the very top leads on from your own superior manager. I always try to find out what the top man is like; both right at the top of the company or in the division you are operating.
The reason for this is that I have found "the problems start at the top not the bottom". If there is a bad egg in charge you can bet your bottom life that it will all trickle down: people will feel under the wrong type of pressure, act irrationally, be subject to difficult working demands and will seek to pass the buck. Those who "are different" are then an easy target.
I have found in my career that there are certain types of manager and certain types of corporate culture I simply, as a person with AS, cannot operate for/in.
Identifying these in advance can really help avoid significant difficulties later. Its worth making the effort.
Researching a company
This website might prove useful, as it contains job reviews written by insiders (allegedly):
http://www.thejobcrowd.com/
Thanks Malcolm, most
Thanks Malcolm, most helpful, and your comments ring true. I have cut and pasted your advice into a document in my career folder on my hard drive for easy reference!
The general manager of the company where I was backstabbed previously has just been spectacularly sacked himself by the American owners of the company. The culture he fostered there was plain evil. Ironically its probably all the nice people that have already left the company that are most pleased that he is gone, because all that are left there are the nasty ones who were only too glad to follow his cue!
I decided not even to apply for the postion I mentioned in my initial post in the end, so this task is deferred, but I am going to have to deal with it eventually. Just as well in a way, because it was several thousand kilometres away from where I currently live, so getting hold of present, never mind former employees for a quiet chat on the side would have been a challenge.
Peter
north Queensland, Australia
These are all very good
These are all very good suggestions Malcolm! Also, the receptionist is a good person to talk to. It can behoove you to give them a call before you apply to check things out.