After weeks of interviewing, overthinking, stressing and incessantly staring at your phone screen willing it to ring, you finally get the call you’ve been waiting for: You got the job. Congratulations! But before you go popping champagne bottles, you still have some work to do. Here are some important questions to ask the hiring manager and yourself before you accept an offer.
When Can I Get It In Writing?
Every verbal offering for a job should be immediately followed with an offer letter. Ask the hiring manager how long you have to consider the offer, when you can expect the written letter to arrive and how (email, snail mail, etc.). If they are not willing to put the offer in writing, consider this a red flag.
Are There Clear Benchmarks For Success?
Before you say yes, verify there are clear, written standards for accomplishment and be sure to get a copy of those benchmarks in your hands. If there are no outlined standards and if the employer isn’t interested in creating them, you should be very wary of accepting the offer.
Does The Letter Match Your Discussions?
The offer should also include the job title, an outline of basic responsibilities and the name and/or title of the person you will report to. If any of these points do not match up to what you discussed through the interview process, call the hiring manager to find out why.
Hopefully, you and the hiring manager discussed salary, bonuses and benefits packages before you received an offer. Make sure the written offer aligns with what you spoke about and make sure the offered compensation is in line with industry standards, your local market and the experience you bring to the table.
Will You Enjoy What You Will Be Doing?
Are you taking this job just to pay your bills, or will you actually enjoy what you are doing? Keep in mind you don’t have to be excited every minute of every day to “enjoy” your work. Everyone needs to make money, but be honest with yourself because days can be very, very long at a job you don’t enjoy. A new position should help you advance your professional goals, it should allow you to use your talents, and your excitement should come from the job itself, not just the idea of receiving an offer.
Will You Fit in Well?
You probably met with your potential new boss and maybe even a few potential colleagues as you interviewed. Ask yourself if you can truly fit in with that group. This can be difficult to gauge since time spent interviewing is short and rather superficial, but consider things like the work environment, the organizational culture and its mission and values. If you feel alignment, it’s probably a good sign.
The right approach to the interview process eliminates the questions you need to ask during the offer stage. If you want to increase the chances that your next job will, in fact, be your ideal position, contact the recruiters at Selectek in Georgia today.
