To be put off a job due to reviews on Glass door

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I have the option of two jobs. For a bit of background I have been a stay at home mum for 2 years. Before then I had 2 jobs In the procurement department in two companies. I also have a degree in a relevant field.

Having been out of work for a while I am looking to return to work hopefully in a similar role.

I have the option of -

1. call centre job working from home.
   Pay is basic, but the perks of no travel, working in a job which seems straight forward. Simply delivering customer service. 6 month contract so would finish around Easter time.

2. career type job in a similar role to my previous. About £8,000 more per year than the call centre job. 8:30-5:30 hours plus 45 minutes travel. My head says take this job as the career potential is there.

But... the reviews on Glassdoor are shocking. And there are lots all saying the same things so it’s not just one disgruntled employee. It’s a private company and apparently the directors monitor CCTV, Internet is monitored and lots of websites are locked.

Lots of accusations of bullying, public humiliation from directors, sexism, sexual harassment.

If you are 3 minutes late your pay is docked for 15 minutes. Pay docked for doctors and dentist appointment.

The last two companies were better places to work. Lots of trust and mutual respect.

I don’t know whether to even bother as I know i won’t last if this is true.

What would you do?

Aibu - ignore the reviews
Ainbu - don’t take the job based on the reviews.

As a side note we don’t “need” the extra salary right now. It would be nice however as the kids are all in school now so I feel redundant at home and would like to do something.

Is 2) really a career option if they're sexist? Are they providing opportunities for women to develop and be promoted? If not then take 1) and enjoy the lack of hassle

To throw a spanner in the works I also have an interview to help in a nursery part time term time so I could do the school run and be off for school holidays.

Pay is very low as a result however and ofcourse no career progression and not exactly my passion. I have ruled this out on this basis.

I think working culture /environment is really important. So you're right to take this seriously. Could you ask yo do something like visit and meet with the team you'll be working with or sit in a team meeting. Then be hyper aware of the culture.

Could you also find people who work for them via linked in and get in touch with them?

You don’t want to work somewhere with a terrible culture, it won’t be worth it. The 6 month contract from home sounds good, gets you back into working but leaves you space to think about what you really want to do next

Go for job 1 and keep looking

Ask for the company policies and judge for yourself? Do you want a career job? If so it seems like you have the luxury of waiting for the right one to come along. Take the working from home one for now to get you back into the swing of things then start looking at progression.

I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask the company with the poor glass door ratings, what they have to say about them. Of course they might give you a lot of waffle about it, but you will probably get a good feel for how seriously they take it.
It’s 100% normal to look at glass door nowadays and ask the company about any concerns it gives you. After all, the interview process is 2 way.
If you don’t like, or trust, the answers then you know to rule out that option.
In fact, you could ask to talk to someone already employed in the company at your grade as well.

job 1

with a view to using it as stepping stone to a dream job.

In your shoes I would take the first one and then look to get a better one in 6 months when the contract end

It's a no brainier.

There is no "career potential" in a workplace that has a culture of bullying, public humiliation from directors, sexism, sexual harassment.

And before anyone says that the career potential lies in using it as a stepping stone into another job, the damage to your mental and physical health in the meantime while you are working there could be tremendous.

The weekly total travel time for job number 2 is 7.5 hours, if the commute is 45 minutes there and another 45 minutes back. If you don't need the extra salary then I'd go for the working from home job based on that, even without the bad reviews.

I would also go for job 1. I'd also tell job 2 why you won't be working for them.

I would take number 2 and use it to get your next step on the ladder elsewhere.

Yep I’d take the first one and spend 6 months browsing what else is out there.

Wouldn’t risk being miserable in the 2nd one and WFH will be a good stepping stone back into working life and will give you good balance by the sounds of it. Better to move on to something better with confidence and a great reference than stressed out and miserable.

Job 1.

Job 2 only has career potential if you have the potential to grow or obtain a penis.

Glass door reviews are invaluable. I always read them and I won't apply for a job if it has lots of bad reviews saying similar things. Run like the wind.

Normally I'd say that Glassdoor reviews are written solely by people wanting to move up the career ladder into management or disgruntled ex employees who have been fired for being crap.

HOWEVER. There's a pandemic going around. If there is even the slightest hint of an unsympathetic company culture, with the chances of being told to SI because somebody's sent their kid into school/nursery/childminder with symptoms or a member of staff/childminder's husband or child catching it, you don't want to find yourself 'superfluous' or 'you have not passed your probation period' or 'your contract is therefore terminated with immediate effect'. That and travel plus juggling everything is bloody hard at the best of times.

So the WFH option sounds more secure and I'd take that for now.

I’d speak to company 2 about the reviews.

The entire purpose of Glassdoor is to warn people of shitty workplaces. You do have to take it with a pinch of salt, like any negative reviews of anything, but a company with lots of similar reviews can't just be someone getting unreasonably stroppy.

Ignore it at your peril.

I'm on the fence about GD reviews. Keep in mind it's likely to be the unhappy people who put reviews on that site. Happy people don't give a second thought to putting a review on GD, so I do think it's very heavily weighted towards those who've had a negative experience at a company.

If I were you I would talk to the person who has offered you the job at company 2 and find out if there is any truth in the reviews you have seen on GD.

Having said that, it depends on what you want out of this job. You seem to be torn between a 'career' and a job that fits around your children. If you're looking for a career, take job 2 and see how it goes. You say you don't need the money, so does it matter if you don't like it and leave? At least you'll have the job on your CV and can use it to help you move up the career ladder.

If you just want a job that fits around the children with title career prospects, then go for one of the other jobs.

Reading between the lines, your husband seems quite keen for you to take the higher paid job. Maybe as a family you do need the extra more than you think?

The job market is very tough and you are not a prize currently. Take the job knowing full well everything is monitored etc. Work hard get some trust and in a year or two start interviewing elsewhere. Needs must and this give you a career.

A call centre job wfh gives you the same amount of shit - from the public. With you being expected to do all housework. Almost certainly monitored as well. Lower paid jobs are actually much harder it's just that everyone knows they are expected to deal with it so don't bother complaining.

A job with children means a lot of exposure to Covid. And very low pay with no prospects.

1. You don’t need the money, and this job is primarily about you needing something fulfilling to do now your children are at school
2. you’re not obliged to put any job on your cv and you’ve already got a 2 year gap

I’d take the job with the shit reviews and see what happens when you get there.

• If it’s appalling you can leave and there is no need to put it on your cv, the gap is just a bit longer.
• If it’s tolerable it’s great way to get past the gap on your cv and make you more appealing to future employers while you find something else in your field somewhere better, especially given the current job market.
• If it’s actually ok (and it might be) then you won’t know that until you get in there and you’ll have turned it down in favour of a 6 month FTC role which is in service of nothing in terms of your cv or future job development.

I would take job 2 and start looking again immediately. Or take neither and keep looking.

I would also take neither and keep looking, if that's an option. Or take job 1 and keep looking. I have worked in companies like job 2, it will suck you dry.