Are You Toxic? Are you a disgruntled and angry employee, trying to find a new job where the grass is greener? But a funny thing happens during your job interview process, you don’t get call backs. Why? By any chance were you whining or complaining about your former employer? Have you turned into a toxic employee as a result of your toxic work environment so much so that you aren’t even aware that you’re complaining to prospective employers? It’s time for an intervention.

Smart Lemming tip: It’s time to take the high road and start healing, so you can move on and be a positive, must-have job candidate for prospective employers.

Interviewing a Toxic Job Seeker

I once saw this first hand with a candidate hoping to get hired at my former employer. It was ugly. I felt so bad for this person, because she clearly wasn’t aware she was just as toxic as her former employer. I was her first interview in a string of eight interviews.

Quick background on my company, we carefully screened new candidates, because we were small; more importantly, we behaved like a family. One bad hire could change the dynamics of the company, so we tried to screen out candidates that could negatively alter our culture.

So there I was, this woman’s first interview. I’m listening to the candidate thinking, “Wow, she’s got skills and expertise we could use.” Then all of a sudden, she goes there, to the place where angry job seekers go. She starts complaining about her employer. Oh no…it was like watching a train wreck.

Smart Lemming Tip #1

Let go of your anger, don’t be toxic in job interviews. Never say bad things, ever, in a job interview.

Should I Tell Her?

As I sat there in disbelief, I mentioned how we protect our company from employees who aren’t a fit. Then I actively listened, letting her know that I thinks its unfortunate that she had to work for an employer that didn’t value its employees. Finally, we’re near the end, having to make a choice if I’m going to give her feedback. I decide I should because she’s clearly toxic, that if I don’t tell her, she’s going to flame out of our process, wasting everyone’s time or worst, she’ll be clueless and not be able to find a decent job for awhile. I liked her, so I decide to give her the following feedback:

I do a lot of coaching and mentoring, especially career management counseling. I like you. I think you have expertise that we could use so I’m going to give you some feedback. I realize you just came out of a toxic environment, but I recommend you reframe, discussing only the positive things. Don’t discuss why the your former employer was a terrible place to work and why you are leaving it. Highlight your successes and contributions with your employer that demonstrate to us why we should hire you. I’ve been there, I’ve been an angry employee. I’ve been toxic.

In fact, my last gig before this one was just like your situation. However, I knew that I only wanted to discuss my successes there and why it allowed me to evolve and be a fit here. Being a toxic worker is like being an abused puppy. When you finally find a happy home, you can’t believe that everyone’s authentic. You keep waiting for the abuse to come, expecting the worst in your new coworkers or new boss. But our company isn’t toxic. I’m a happy puppy now. I took a leap of faith and now I no longer feel fear and anger. I don’t feel toxic. Only time and space can help you get over your former toxic environment, but you can make a choice today to let it go and value the positive things about it to us.

Smart Lemming Tip #2

Don’t bag on your current or former employer. No one wants to work with an angry employee. Hiring managers don’t want to hire toxic employees. Do everything you can to take the high road during your interview process. You’ll also need to process that anger or hurt too while you’re at it. Remember time heals all wounds. Just have patience because that former toxic employer will be a distant memory.

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