Will Your Next Employer Be a Perfect Match?

By MARCIA REED

The telltale signs were there: the phone calls, the lunch meetings, the tour. Then the question, "Will you ... accept the position with our company?"

Accepting a job offer is like accepting a marriage proposal. You’re making an important commitment of time, energy and effort to a second party for some portion of your life. But before saying "I do," consider several important factors. These include your management style, job responsibilities, long-term growth and advancement possibilities and the company’s culture.

Try to answer these questions before making your decision:

Management Style

How would you describe the company’s management style? What philosophies are used when managing employees? How often does management interact with employees? What percentage of management has been promoted from within? Have I met the person to whom I’ll report?

Find out about your immediate supervisor. You need to know if you’ll be comfortable with him or her or if you think he or she will be committed to your success with the company. Determine management’s relationship with employees. Find out how committed the company is to the individual success of its employees by analyzing the ratio of managers promoted internally.

Job Responsibilities

What are my job responsibilities? What will I be expected to accomplish in the first six months? The first year? What might I expect to be doing over the next three to five years? How much flexibility are employees allowed in determining their own job movement and responsibilities? What can be done if an employee stops feeling challenged or satisfied? Are lateral or rotational job moves available?

The type of work you’ll be doing is important. Get a clear understanding of what’s expected of you within specified time frames. The work should be a good match for your skills and abilities. Work can be challenging and interesting or mundane and routine. Know how your desire for variety and challenge in the future can be met.

Company Culture

How would you describe the company’s culture? What kind of people are the most successful or satisfied at this company? What is the staff turnover ratio? What reasons do employees give for leaving? What are the company’s values?

You need to know about the corporate setting in which you’ll be operating, the company’s weaknesses and any potential impediments to your success. Observe the way people dress, act and interact. Find out if the environment is casual, formal, structured or unstructured and if it’s an environment in which you’ll be comfortable. Get to know what’s important to the company and how that influences its operations.

Performance Evaluations

How will my work be evaluated? By whom? How are individual pay increases determined and what can be expected in the first several years?

Know how and who will critique and review your work. Be aware of all quotas, standards and performance expectations. Be certain that you’ll be allowed enough learning time before you’re expected to perform at required levels. Determine your earning potential. While the starting salary should be less important than potential salary, you have to know what to expect to make a wise decision.

Advancement Opportunities

Is there room for growth and advancement with the company? Does the firm have or sponsor any continuing education programs for employees? What kind of training is provided for prospective supervisors and managers.

Training is vital to career growth and advancement. Determine if the company is committed to helping you learn and advance. Get a sense of the company’s organizational chart and how your career path will proceed.

A little planning, some smart questions and the willingness to take a chance can make a new job more satisfying. With any luck, the match will be a perfect one.

-- Ms. Reed is principal of MARC Consulting and Associates, a strategic planning firm based in Park Forest, Ill., and a freelance writer.

Source: National Business Employment Weekly