A startup might be the best or worst job choice for you. Here are a few startups you should probably avoid during your job search.
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Working for a company and seeing it grow is a rewarding experience. You might even be able to create the next Facebook or Google if you're lucky. However, some companies might be hell on earth and a waste of time for your career.
I've seen my fair share of startups from hell. I worked for three startups at the start of my career, and I can undoubtedly state that none of them left a positive impression on me; one of them was even a waste of my time.
I was required to wear "several hats" while working at one of the companies. Every day, I would leave my residence in Berger at 5 a.m. to go to the office in Lekki just to use my phone. Yes, you read that correctly. We weren't provided laptops, so some employees had to work on their phones. Imagine what the salary structure looked like. That was only a starting - point, and it was needless, but I'd like to believe that everything happens for a reason.
Here are red flags I wish I knew when picking out a startup to work for:-
1. No clear job description - This is the king of all red flags. Startups tend to be clumsy because they are still learning and refining their processes, but close that tab if they don’t get the JD right.
Job descriptions are meant to give you clear insights into your role at the company and what your day-to-day processes might look like, but when the JD is bland and vague, you might want to rethink that application.
When this happens, you’re probably going to be wearing “many hats”, meaning more work than what you signed up for. If you sign up for a content writer role, you’re probably going to be the social media manager, digital marketer, email marketer and graphic designer. So if you proceed with the job interview, try asking questions like “Who will my teammates be during this role?”, “What will my day to day workflow be like?”, “How does the company strive to achieve work-life balance?”
2. “You will be required to work on weekends” - When reviewing your contract, ensure you read through it thoroughly. If it states that your working hours are between Monday - Friday, but you’ll be required to work on weekends “sometimes” then you can kiss work-life balance goodbye. There is no limit to how much work you can or must do in a week. It can easily vary from 50 to 80 hours each week.
Companies like this also allow work breaks probably a year after the resumption. Are you getting burned out? That’s not their problem.
3. Zero job security - Many startups provide little job security. You will grow if you do well. If you don't, you risk being replaced by someone more capable of delivering than you. This isn't true for every startup, but those that have expanded quickly and successfully have been willing to make some compromises. Even the greatest of us make mistakes, but certain businesses simply do not have the time or resources to accept your errors.
4. Few hands with lots to do - One of the first things I learned about startups was that there is a lot of work to be done and just a few people to accomplish it. Understandably, the company might not be able to afford to hire many people at the early stages, but if they aren’t honest with you from the beginning, then that’s a total red flag.
You must ask as many questions as possible during the job interviews because it becomes exhausting and distracting, but that is exactly what you signed up for. There are no limits or job descriptions, just work, work, and more work. Look on the brighter side; it’s going to be a huge learning curve and speedy progression for your career.
5. Tight salary reviews - When a company announces that they only review salaries once a year, you know you're in for a wild ride. This is never a good thing because you're still trapped if you're performing multiple roles and the company has tremendous victories. Companies enact such regulations solely because they do not wish to share. So, if you started with a Series A company and then progressed to a Series C company, they would have more money, and you would have none.
6. Poor employee retention - You've heard it a million times, but it's worth repeating, you must conduct thorough research on each organization before proceeding with the job interview process. What you discover might make or break your decision.
To get a rough count, run a search on LinkedIn and see whether past employees within your similar skill-set have left the firm in the last year (outside your skill-set as well). If this happens, you may confidently conclude that something is seriously wrong with the management. This is something I've seen several times. It isn't worth it.
7. Do you see a future for the business? - As a job seeker, you may feel desperate at times to take any job offer, but what's the point of joining a company if you're not going to get paid because the company isn't doing well? The fact is that no amount of marketing, staff, structure, sales, or push will ever be able to sell a bad product. So, if you're thinking about working for a startup, look at their products/services and ask yourself, "Is this a good idea?" or "Can this truly sell?"
If you don't see a future for the company, fall back because many startup founders pay compensation based on how much money the company makes. I know because I've been there — no profit equals no salary.
When dealing with startups, you'll definitely encounter your fair share of hardship. Use some of the suggestions above to avoid the next bullet that may come your way.
