How to Identify a Healthy Working Environment?
There are many lessons to learn in life. An important one that most people go through is learning to differentiate and identify a healthy working environment with a toxic one. A healthy working environment provides you with the necessary means of success, whereas a toxic one kills your passion and stunts your career growth.
It is never fun to learn about this the hard way, primarily through experience, so, we’ve came up with a list of basic tell-tale signs of a healthy working environment to help you with your career progress. Here are 5 ways to identify a healthy working environment!
1. A Safe and Supportive Environment
The most fundamental thing a healthy workplace should have is a safe and supportive environment. You should be able to feel as comfortable in the office in order to continuously learn and grow. By having colleagues and mentors that are willing to help you strive for success, you’re able to open new doors of opportunities in the future. On the flip side, an environment that makes you feel uncomfortable and fearful would not only take a toll on your mental health but also your ability to expand your knowledge.
Thus, before you decide on a company to apply to, it’s always a good idea to do a background check beforehand. Most people who are looking for a new career will go on sites such as glassdoor.com to look at what previous employees of the company have to say about the CEO or working environment to get a better understanding of the company culture.
By ensuring that you’re in good company (no pun intended), you are more likely to not only learn and grow much faster but also be much happier going to work every day!
2. A Healthy Working Environment Entails a Boss Who Invests in Your Career Growth
When it comes to settling on a job, your manager should be your greatest ally and mentor. An ideal boss should know about your desires and plans for professional development and provide necessary support and guidance whenever they can. For example, offering advice and constructive criticism when needed, and always leading the team by example. When you have a mentor that can really take you under their wings and show you the ropes, you’ll have a higher chance of success when you decide it’s time to move on to the next stages in your career.
On the other end of the spectrum, a boss who constantly belittles and undermines your efforts will not only harm your progress, they will also inadvertently turn your passion away from the career. In order to avoid having this type of higher-up, it’s always good to try and gauge their personalities during the interview process. And in certain cases when their true colors show up, later on, it could be a good idea to consult the HR department on this matter.
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3. A Healthy Working Environment Has a Clear Understanding of Your Life Outside of Work
There is no denying that your career is a huge part of your life, but always remember that your life does not revolve around it. Your career enhances your life, and it is a supplement to your own personal affairs such as friends and family.
A healthy working environment should understand and respect this about the employees. In that sense, if your contract agrees to a 9-5, you should be only working those hours. If you’re expected to clock in the extra time, you should be rewarded for it in OT salary or compensated in another way.
An unhealthy working environment on the other hand, expects you to revolve your life around the company. You’ll be expected to work long hours, and answer emails or calls way beyond the usual scope of the job. Unfortunately, there are many companies like this and they attribute it to a “hardworking company culture”. So if you value your personal time, you should ensure that the company you work for respects your boundaries not as an employee, but also as another person with their own lives to live.
4. A Healthy Working Environment Appreciates of Your Contributions
There is dignity in all work. Your job exists for a reason. Regardless of your specific role, you are serving your company in some important way. That means you should never be made to feel worthless. You should pack up and head home every evening knowing that your contributions matter and are respected by the people that you work with. That doesn’t mean the company should expect the company to celebrate everything you do. However, a healthy working environment should at least acknowledge that you are a valuable asset to the business, and treat you with respect.
Related: Five Essential Job-Seeking Skills
5. A Healthy Working Environment Gives You a Sense of Fulfilment
Maybe you are not doing work that you consider to be particularly life-changing, not yet anyway. Regardless, you still deserve a working environment that gives you a certain level of fulfillment and sense of purpose.
For example, your job scope might be ensuring that things run smoothly in the office, or even doing assistant work as an intern, however, you should find it rewarding that you can make life easier for your colleagues. Or maybe you interact with your clients and your ability to help and serve them is what leaves you feeling gratified at the end of the day.
A healthy working environment doesn’t necessarily mean that your job scope will change the world, but at the very least, it should give you a sense of fulfilment and happiness when you go home every day, no matter how small it is.
A Healthy Working Environment Leads to Better Personal and Career Growth
Work is not always fun, that is exactly why we all get paid to be there. But, just because you go home with a paycheck doesn’t mean that everything else is forgiven. When you spend so much of your lives in the office, you deserve more from our jobs than just a month’s worth of the rental.
At the end of the day, when you’re safe in a healthy working environment you are provided much more than just that paycheck. You’re provided with a better opportunity to learn and grow as a person.
If you’re considering a career change, Academy of Learning Career college offers diplomas and certifications to help you progress in your career. Request more information on available programs in your area or book an appointment with one of our course advisors!