Wouldn't it be nice to ensure a job is a good fit BEFORE you take it? Almost a slam dunk guarantee? Well, there is a way. Some people are so happy to have the offer though that they don't care about the fit. They just want the job. Unfortunately, if they skip this step, 6 months later, they are unhappy.
There are 3 things you can do to ensure the job is a good fit - BEFORE you take it.
1. Will the company meet your prioritized career objectives for the job?
I advocate making a list - call it a Top 10 list - of your prioritized career objectives. The list - in priority order - should detail everything that is important to you for your job and career happiness. For example:
Mobile app industry
Start up - less than 100 employees
Commute - within 20 minutes
Regional account manager role, with clients greater than 50k in sales
Competitive pay
Ability to work from home 2 days a week
Exposure to senior management and investors
Manage a group of at least 3 - 4 people
Travel 50% a month
Open, collaborative culture
Start up - less than 100 employees
Commute - within 20 minutes
Regional account manager role, with clients greater than 50k in sales
Competitive pay
Ability to work from home 2 days a week
Exposure to senior management and investors
Manage a group of at least 3 - 4 people
Travel 50% a month
Open, collaborative culture
Once you are in a role, the role and the company may stay stagnant or constantly change. Companies that merger, divest, or restructure as often as the sun rises have cultures rooted in change - the cultures change just as often. The jobs can change too - people are given new responsibilities, different responsibilities or lose responsibilities. This may be OK assuming employees like change and want change. Again - this should match your career objectives prior to taking the role.
2. Will the job meet your compensation requirements?
Before negotiating an offer, make sure you list and understand your compensation requirements. These requirements should include base salary, but include all aspects of compensation, such as bonuses, annual option grants, benefits, vacation, etc. Be as detailed as possible. For the example above, do you want to be on a commission-based program, with bonuses paid quarterly? Do you expect annual option grants of 10,000 options or greater? Do you anticipate 3 -4 weeks of vacation? Do you want the employer to have robust benefits with low co-pays or are you comfortable with a catastrophic plan?
Similar to your career objectives, prioritize your compensation requirements and negotiate your offer by making sure you get the things that are most important to you.
3. Did you talk to other employees to ensure the job and company is a good cultural fit?
This one sometimes gets lost in the shuffle for finding a new job. Ideally, this step should be undertaken prior to interviewing. When you are researching a company and networking, TALK with employees. There are key questions you can ask to find out if the company will be a good cultural fit. You want to talk to as many employees as possible to ensure consistency in the answers. Some answers will be based on people's personal experiences and not indicative of the company as a whole. But the more information you gather, the better. Key questions you can ask include:
Why did you join?
Why have you stayed?
What is your perception of management/leadership? Do they interact with employees often? How do they communicate?
How do employees work together? Do you email/text or sit next to each other? How would you describe the work environment - collaborative? entrepreneurial? up or out? competitive?
How long have you been in your current role? When do you expect to progress?
How is performance measured? Do you know what you need to do to meet your goals?
Do you know where the company is heading?
If there is one thing you would change about the company, what would it be?
Do you have the resources you need to get your job done? If not, why?
Why have you stayed?
What is your perception of management/leadership? Do they interact with employees often? How do they communicate?
How do employees work together? Do you email/text or sit next to each other? How would you describe the work environment - collaborative? entrepreneurial? up or out? competitive?
How long have you been in your current role? When do you expect to progress?
How is performance measured? Do you know what you need to do to meet your goals?
Do you know where the company is heading?
If there is one thing you would change about the company, what would it be?
Do you have the resources you need to get your job done? If not, why?
Depending on your desired role, there may be other questions you want to ask.
Don't forget to stick to your career and compensation objectives. People are unhappy in their roles because they decide to take a job despite the fact it doesn't meet their top objectives. By sticking to your list, you are much more like to ensure a good fit.
Credo - http://www.thecredocompany.com - provides career counseling, outplacement, leadership development, and compensation solutions to companies and individuals.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacey_Hawley
