Nina Nesdoly, a work stress and prevention expert from Ottawa, Canada, has shared valuable insights on identifying toxic workplace environments. At the age of 31, Nesdoly emphasizes the importance of understanding office culture before committing to a job offer. She advises prospective employees to inquire about the environment and work/life balance during interviews and suggests reading employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. Her recommendations aim to equip job seekers with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Nesdoly has identified five key traits of toxic workplaces: disrespect, non-inclusive behavior, unethical practices, cutthroat competition, and abuse. She elaborates that non-inclusivity can manifest as nepotism, age discrimination, and racial inequality. During interviews, she encourages candidates to prepare questions for their potential employers to better understand the work culture.
“If applicants get to the job interview stage of the hiring process, prospective workers should prepare questions to ask the interviewer.” – Nina Nesdoly
To assess the work environment effectively, Nesdoly recommends stating personal stress management strategies during interviews. This approach helps in aligning personal values with company culture.
“The third is to state what you are looking for if your interviewer asks you how you manage stress,” – Nina Nesdoly
“If you say you are a work hard, play hard person, you are gonna be there for 75 hours a week, throw all your needs out the window, that is going to put you in a very different environment to if you say you manage stress by getting outside, asking for help or connecting with family members.” – Nina Nesdoly
Nesdoly's guidance is grounded in her expertise and experience in helping individuals identify and avoid toxic workplaces. Her analysis is supported by research from the MIT Sloan Management Review, which has also pinpointed "five signs" of toxic workplaces through an evaluation of Glassdoor reviews.
“Identify the toxic traits and look at whether it is toxicity you are dealing with or elements of high workload or demand that need to be addressed,” – Nina Nesdoly
In cases where employees find themselves in toxic environments, Nesdoly advises taking control of certain aspects and seeking constructive responses. However, if these efforts prove futile, she suggests considering alternative employment opportunities.
“If you can control these things and get helpful responses, you can stay in that environment and make those changes.” – Nina Nesdoly
“The best thing to do is look for another role, spruce up your resume, and keep your head low as long as you need to be in that environment.” – Nina Nesdoly
Leave a Reply