When Not to Accept a Job Offer
Five Signs a New Position and/or Company May Not Be the Right One
Jul 3, 2009
In the current economy and difficult job market it’s easy to feel desperate and want to jump at the first job offer. However, before job seekers accept just any job offer it is important that they are fully aware of what they are walking into. That means understanding as much as they can about the position, coworkers, and the company and carefully considering their options if any of these five situations occur.
Salary Negotiations Become Difficult
When firms starts to put pressure on a job seeker to accept a job offer, it may be because they are desperate. Perhaps it has been a difficult position to fill because of the qualifications required or perhaps the company has a reputation for being a challenging work environment. Whatever the reason, job seekers need to make sure they have sufficient time to think any job offer over carefully and are not pushed to accept a job offer prematurely.
Another piece of the negotiation process has to do with the actual salary and benefits package. Sometimes organizations are locked into limited options because of things such as budget or internal equity issues. It doesn’t make sense to play hard ball if there really is little room to negotiate. However, many times job seekers can get a feel for the organization through the negotiation process. Are they tough, inflexible and abrupt or are they flexible, willing to talk and maybe have something else to offer?
The Job or Company Seem Too Good to be True
Remember that old saying about if something sounds too good to be true it probably is? Well, it can happen with jobs and employers, too. This doesn’t mean that the company and the job are automatically no good. It just means job seekers need to proceed with caution.
Review the company’s Internet presence and web page. Ask friends and family members what they know about the organization. Just like in a merger or acquisition when the firm conducts its due diligence, it is important that job seekers execute their own due diligence when considering a job offer.
Negative Vibes from Potential Coworkers
Sometimes when job seekers participate in the interview process, they interview with a small group of representatives in a single part of the company and never get a full sense of the overall operations and environment. It is very important when interviewing that job seekers get as much information as possible to form a complete picture of what they would be walking into. That means along with getting a sense of their role, they learn about the employees, the work environment, and the company culture.
Things like asking for a tour and interviewing with potential coworkers can go a long way in providing information about the work environment. Ask employees what they like – and especially what they don’t like -- about working there. Observe the surroundings, furnishings and general work environment. Is it soothing and relaxed or chaotic and frantic? If things don’t feel right now, when employees should be on their best behavior, it’s not likely to get any better after accepting a job offer.
Incompatible Value System and Culture at New Company
What a company values – things such as accountability, respect, and transparency – as well as the company culture (also known as the personality) are at the very heart of how an organization operates.
Is the company all about hard work – meaning lots of over time and weekends at the office? Or does it embrace family obligations and offer flexible work schedules? It is very important when considering a job offer that job seekers understand whether the work environment fits with what they want, need and desire in their career.
Leaving a Current Job for All the Wrong Reasons
Sometimes the reason a job seeker is looking for a new position is because of dissatisfaction with the current employer. The problem is that running from a bad situation can blur a job seeker’s objectivity about potential new positions and make new opportunities seem too good to be true only because they are not where the job seeker currently works.
Job seekers need to make sure that when they choose to leave their current employer they don’t do it on a whim or abandon ship prematurely. They need to take an appropriate amount of time to fully investigate all their options.
Yes, it can be difficult to turn down what sounds like a good job offer. However, accepting a new position and finding out a month later that the decision was a mistake just means having to start the job hunt process all over again.
 |
