The Three Most Important Things You Look for in Your Employment Relationship (2024)

By Rick Suttle Updated June 29, 2018

There are three key employer characteristics a job seeker should look for in an employment relationship: reputation, career advancement and work balance. These often show up in employment surveys as being most important for candidates. If you want to find out how a potential employer stacks up when it comes to these three things, you can research its websites, read articles about the company and develop a list of questions before each interview.

Reputation and Culture

There are many factors to consider when evaluating a company's reputation. Ideally, it should be be profitable, well established and free of ethical or legal problems. If the company is publicly traded, you can research its financial results and Securites and Exchange Commission filings on the investors' page of its website. Make sure the company has track record of consistent earnings and sales growth, taking into account the occasional blip due to a bad quarter or negative economic impact. You should also find out if it has ever been investigated, fined or sued for illegal or unethical activity. If the company is privately held, you might find details about its performance by checking for news articles in local papers or trade journals. You also want to ensure that it is in a growing industry, one that has not been adversely affected by new technologies and market shifts. For example, if you are interested in working in media, you're probably better off finding a job in digital rather than print media.

Career Development

Your employer must first have an open position that is commensurate with your education and experience. The proper job fit allows you to more quickly make positive contributions. Additionally, check with the company about advancement opportunities. Ask the interviewer to describe the typical career path for your particular job. Find out whether others in the department have advanced in their careers, what levels they advanced to, and how long it took to advance to different levels. Check if the company has training systems in place to help you learn your job and develop new skills. Determine whether the employer encourages further education with tuition reimbursem*nt.

Work-Life Balance

Another important element employers must offer is a balance between work and personal life. You should not be expected to always work long hours at the expense of your family life. Employers must also provide adequate time off for workers, including personal days, vacation time and maternity leave. Some employers allow men to take maternity leave to help their wives. During interviews, ask about flex scheduling and work-from-home options. You also can check online surveys regarding employer job satisfaction, which are often featured on job-search and career websites.

Other Considerations

Compensation such as salary, bonuses, profit sharing and health benefits are very important things to look for in an employment relationship and should also be taken in consideration when seeking the right job. You can research the average compensation for most jobs through the Bureau of Labor Statistics' "Occupational Outlook Handbook."