The Ideal Employer: Characteristics and Traits of a Great Place to Work

Some of you reached out and asked us to use the science of leadership to design the profile of the ideal employer. We heard your request so in this post we’ll go over what makes a great employer.

We previously talked about what makes a toxic work environment, so today we’ll go over the opposite – if you didn’t get the chance to check out that post please click here. 

Let’s say that you are stuck in a bad job and looking for a way out. Where do you start? What should you be looking for specifically? You already know what you don’t like in your current employer, but can’t picture what the ideal employer looks like.

First thing first, let’s be honest: there is no ideal employer. There is no perfect company out there. Remember that the reason why any business exists is to make a profit. No employer has employee satisfaction as the #1 priority on their list. Their main objective is to make as much money as possible using the least amount of resources. That’s reality and you need to embrace it.

Here’s another fact for you: there are businesses out there who have employee satisfaction as #2 on their list of priorities. These are the good guys that we’ll talk about today.

But before we dig deeper, keep in mind that those renowned companies that everyone wants to work for these days are not necessarily the good guys that they seem to be. Let me explain. Reputable businesses have the luxury of easily finding candidates for their vacant roles  – they don’t have to work too hard to convince you to come onboard, nor do they have to make an effort to keep you onboard. This may result in a poor employer-employee relationship, where the employer pays you less than you deserve and works your insane hours. And they do that because they know they can easily replace you. They don’t need YOU, they need anyone who is willing to do the job.

Ok, time to discover what are the factors that make a great employer:

1. Transparency
2. Trust 
3. Individual consideration
4. Work-life balance

Let’s jump right into it!

1. Transparency

A transparent employer is one that clearly defines your role and responsibilities and sets specific and realistic goals for you. In other words, you understand what your tasks are and where you are headed. 

A transparent employer respects the employment contract and would never ask you to be a jack of all trades – you signed up for one job, so you should only do one job. They would not have you involved with work that you never agreed to do, nor force you to work longer hours than stipulated in your contract. And of course, they would always compensate you accordingly and on time.

2.Trust

A good employer encourages you to think independently, use best judgment and be creative in order to reach the desired result. In other words, you get the freedom to put your mark on your work. 

What a good employer would never do is to micromanage you; instead they would trust your capabilities and only step in when you need help.

3.Individual consideration

“YOU matter”, “You are more than a number”, “You are a human being with feelings” – this is the attitude that a great employer would embrace. They would  build a relationship with you, ask you to provide feed-back and take your input into account when making a decision. They would acknowledge your accomplishments and be actively involved in your professional development – provide training opportunities and coach you to expand your skills and capabilities.

A great company would put their employees and their customers on the same level. A great employer would never sacrifice you over an overly demanding customer, and they would always defend you when you are right. They would refute the “The client is always right” paradigm.

4.Work-life balance

A good employer understands that your personal life is just as important as your professional life. They would understand the fact that people work to live and not the other way around. Do you know what an employee who lives to work is called? A “burnt out employee” and every business leader should know that. A company that doesn’t support a work-life balance is exploitative and greedy.

Practical advice

Ok we understand the theory now. But how can we put this knowledge to practice? How can we determine whether the company you are planning to join is a great employer?

First, read the job posting carefully. Can you detect any inconsistencies or grammatical errors? Is there any verbiage indicating red flags like the fact that the ideal candidate is supposed to have a large array of skills that don’t fall under a single role? Is one of the job requirements “availability to work overtime or during weekends”? Do they make any promises like the one that you can make up to x amount of money if you work hard or that you will be promoted to a manager role in x amount of time? Has the job opening been re-posted over and over again over the past weeks or months?

Second, check them up on Glassdoor or similar websites, and go over their reviews – see what current and former employees have to say. Another thing you could do is to use LinkedIn to connect with the people who would become your peers and ask them for feed-back on the company’s culture.

And third, remember that the interview is an opportunity for you to evaluate them as well. So find time to tell them what the ideal employer would be like for you, and ask them if they fit the profile. If they become defensive, stop the interview, thank them for their time and carry on looking for better opportunities.

I know I said it before, but I must say it again: remember that you have rights and should not put yourself through a job that will cost you your sanity or your life outside of work. There are great companies out there, you just need to be patient and keep searching for them.