The one trapped in a toxic environment
I answered the buzzer and a polite voice said, “I’m here to meet Samantha.” It was just coming up for 12:15 and I was getting ready to meet one of three candidates I had booked in that day.
“Fantastic,” I said energetically, “See you on the top floor.”
The office was a beautiful old stone building with a grand entrance.
As you started to climb the 3rd and final floor, the stairs steepened noticeably. They were my nemesis when I had run a race at the weekend, especially if my calves were tight. Getting up the stairs was easy, getting down them was near impossible.
I answered the door and there they were, so professional looking, their outfit was perfectly colour-coordinated and there wasn’t a stitch out of place. They had the neatest haircut I’d ever seen, not a single flyaway hair could be seen. They shook my hand confidently and I welcomed them into the interview room.
Then everything changed.
As we sat down, I could see the pain creep into their face. The sparkle in their eyes faded and as words tumbled out of their mouth, loaded with doubts and worries about their ability to do their job. It was clear they were working in a toxic environment.
I’ve seen all of these signs before unfortunately. It doesn’t matter how skilled and experienced you are, working in a toxic environment will chip away at your confidence until you not only feel but believe that can’t do anything right.
My candidate desperately wanted my help; trying to reassure me with phrases like ‘I’ll do anything’ and ‘I don’t care about the money’.
They needed to get out.
The following week I went to meet a new client at their offices. It was a bit like being transported back into the ‘80s, both the décor and the attitude of the people I met was somewhat ‘old school’.
They celebrated the long unplanned hours they made their employees do and were quite taken with the heels I was wearing. I could see they needed someone to come in, take the reins and transport them into the 21st Century.
Whether they were ready for it was another question.
My job though was to find them someone. The bravado attitude lingered in my mind as I drove back to the office.
Still, I phoned the candidate I had met the previous week who was looking for an escape from their toxic workplace.
They were exactly the sort of person my client was looking for.
Very cautiously, I explained the role and the environment to them, openly admitting that I wasn’t sure it was the right move.
I’ve always been honest and would’ve felt deceitful if I had kept the opportunity from them.
I’m not now, and never have been in the business of limiting people’s opportunities.
They wanted their CV to be sent in; forewarned is forearmed, as they say. I did as they asked.
The rest of the process unfolded exactly as I knew it would. They were interviewed 2 days later and my client was on the phone to offer them the job the same day.
The offer wasn’t a surprise.
I knew all along it would happen, call it a recruiters’ intuition. I just knew.
So I picked up the phone.
“Hi, it’s Sam,” I said nervously. “How did your interview go?”
“It was exactly how you said it would be,” they chuckled.
“They definitely need someone to go in and take the reins, they might not like it when it happens but that’s what they said they wanted”
“Well, I have some news for you” I said apprehensively.
Then an avalanche of words fell out of my mouth in one breath:
“They want to offer you the job but I’m a little concerned about you going from the frying pan into the fire so I can make the offer to you but I’m really not sure you should take it it’s up to you what you decide but I have some concerns”
“I appreciate what you’re saying Sam, can you send me the details and I’ll think about it,” they said calmly.
My email was brief, focused on the facts. It was up to my candidate to make up their own mind. I could already feel the presence of my manager lingering around me like a hyena waiting for dinner. It was a fee to be had, after all
They accepted the offer.
It wasn’t one I celebrated. It kept my manager off my back though and provided my candidate with an escape from that toxic environment.
2 months later
My phone rang, the call wasn’t a surprising one as my candidate admitted I’d been right about everything.
They were trying to make changes but it was another impossible situation, the bravado attitude meant they weren’t being taken seriously.
But the tone in my candidate’s voice was different now.
They were confident and sure of what they could do. I could hear the energy in their voice, they just needed to find a company where they could spread their wings.
They moved on from that role soon after, and joined a new company that they’re still with now many years later.
If you’re stuck in a toxic environment the best thing you can do is get out . Your next job doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to give you space to be YOU again.
Has any of this story resonated with you?
Book time with me here to talk to about your situation, you’ll have more options thank you think.
Life is too short to stay in a toxic environment that gets you down.
