Thanks for checking in. Here’s the next issue of Better Mondays.
Previous issues:
Chapter Two | Part One - Choose Wisely
You’ve just received an offer!
You’re excited. And you should be. It’s an opportunity that could change your life. The question is, will the change be for the better . . . or worse? If you accept the offer, will you look back on the decision as a good one? Or will you regret it, wishing you had known more about what you were getting yourself into?
Remember, we’re talking about making a commitment to being present—mentally and physically—for the majority of your waking hours. And when you’re not actually on the job, you’ll be thinking about your work or getting ready to go to work, or spending time commuting. Essentially, you’ll be arranging the rest of your life around your job.
“Okay, it’s a big deal. I get that. Now what?”
Unless the offer is specifically time-bound with a short window for acceptance, send a letter of appreciation to the company. Then take the next couple of days to research and evaluate the company as a prospective employer.
The process of vetting any large company is easier if organized into two parts: Basic and Internal. Basic information includes company history, number of employees, locations of headquarters, regional offices and branches, as well as manufacturing facilities, if any. You also need to know what products or services they sell, and if possible, their relative or comparative priority, based on the amount of profit they generate. This may sound difficult, but you’ll be surprised at what you can find online.
Why the third degree?
If you’re being hired to work for the division that makes blue gizmos, but blue gizmos is a loss leader, and a year later, the company drops blue gizmos from the product line, your job may be in limbo.
You should also determine if the company’s products are designed and assembled in-house (high-profit margins with a substantial company investment in infrastructure), or purchased from another manufacturer (profit primarily generated from mark-up and value-added, without primary control over manufacturing costs or availability).
The first situation is typically more stable and creates the bread and butter of any large company’s profit picture. The second means the company’s revenues are dependent upon a third party, which can put your job in jeopardy if the company-to-company relationship changes.
If you’re a skilled job hunter, most of these research questions probably seem obvious. However, you’d be amazed by the number of people who readily admit they accepted their current job because “it was offered to me.” In retrospect, they often wish they had done more due diligence before signing on.
Let’s go into more detail about the basics.
Here’s what you need to know as a minimum:
1. Have a clear and concise description of the work. If the job description is vague or full of non-specific, industry buzz-words, you may need to ask for the three (or five, or?) most important daily functions for which you’ll be responsible.
2. Are there activities you’ll be expected to perform not mentioned in the job description? This might include running to the office supply store, setting up trade show displays, making a daily trip to the post office, or delivering samples to customers.
3. How will your performance be evaluated? Are there specific parameters or metrics? How often will you and your work be reviewed?
4. If the position is an hourly compensated job, confirm the work hours and the length of lunch and coffee breaks. If the company asks you to stay late or work half a day on Saturday, will you receive compensation, either in the form of additional income or time-credit?
5. Should you expect regular contact (text, phone, or email) about work issues after-hours or on the weekends? If your weekends are going to be interrupted by questions from your boss, you need to know that upfront.
6. If the position is salaried, ask what hours the other employees typically arrive and leave the office, and how many hours are usually required on the weekends to stay even with the workload and meet the expectations of management.
7. How much travel is involved, including the number of overnights per month?
8. If any part of your compensation is based on a bonus or commission, are you eligible to participate from your first day on the job? Or is there a waiting or intern period in which bonus participation is waived or reduced?
9. What’s included in the benefits package? Calculate the value of health insurance, 401K plans, stock options, use of a company car, vacation days, and retirement benefits when comparing offers.
10. If the commute is lengthy, ask if the office location is fixed for the foreseeable future. If there are plans to move it, ask about alternative locations under consideration to determine if the new commute will be closer or further from your home.
11. This is your catch-all question, covering everything from typical or expected dress, to the actual work environment (cubical, shared office, private space?).
Based on the information you gather, determine if you can answer the “Big Four.” These questions represent the four main reasons employees eventually leave their employer for greener pastures. If you see any of these situations as possible problems in the future, bring up your concerns with the hiring manager and be specific—it’s your future, and if you perceive possible conflicts in policy, work-life balance, the opportunity for advancement or compensation, addressing it now could save you lots of time and frustration a year or two down the road.
1. Will you have autonomy in your work? Or will the boss be breathing down your neck, checking every step of your assignment? Most of us need the mental and physical space to do our job. We also want the opportunity to exercise our responsibility and be acknowledged for doing it correctly. A boss who is constantly correcting, re-directing, or flooding you with suggestions on “how he would do it,” will have you looking for another job in the short term.
2. Are there opportunities for more responsibility and compensation as you grow in capability? Or does your job description give you the impression of being locked in, unable to move beyond the function for which you were initially hired? If you’re planning on earning the highest levels of income your profession provides, you’re going to have to move up in status, position, or title—regardless of “blue sky” promises of compensation based solely on productivity. The general rule for most organizations is that bosses make more money than subordinates. It’s a part of the bureaucratic system, and exceptions are rare.
For example, when I went to work for Acme, I noticed a common situation—sales engineers remaining in that same position for over twenty years. I was told it was a personal choice, and it wasn’t unusual for a sales engineer to stay at that job level for their entire career. I was also told their contribution was so important to the overall success of the company that their compensation was not limited by job function or title, and the best performers could expect to make the same income as a regional manager—two managerial positions above sales engineer. The promise turned out to be a motivational lie. In my fourteen years with the company, I never personally knew of any sales engineer making close to a regional manager’s income. In fact, when my productivity began to generate levels of compensation equal to that of a regional manager, the sales credit I’d accumulated began “disappearing” off my quarterly performance reports (more about that later.)
3. Do the company’s expectations seem out of balance, requiring you to give up high priority personal activities such as time with family? If so, ask yourself how long before you resent the company’s intrusion on your personal life.
4. How do you feel about the current compensation package you’re being offered? Is it enough to give you a sense of being rewarded for your commitment and exchange of time? Regardless of your personal priorities, money is one way to keep score. It’s an indication of value. And it’s damn important. Make sure you’re starting salary is competitive within your industry. And as I mentioned before, don’t overlook the importance of the benefit package. Health insurance, 401K plans, and other perks have real value. Always include them when determining the total bottom line.
Keep this in mind when evaluating an offer of compensation: If, after taking the job, you know you’ll still have money worries, or will have to consider part-time employment to cover the bills, you need to rethink your career choice and maybe your entire financial picture. If you’re overspending or living an unrealistic lifestyle, you can and should adjust your spending to match your income. However, if you’re financially burdened with student loan payments, child support, medical bills, or other involuntary expense, you may need to talk to a financial advisor or an attorney.
Now let’s change the focus of our evaluation to the internal workings of the company.
This information is not going to be as apparent as the basics and in some cases, can be a bit more challenging to obtain. But it’s what you must know before you can make an informed decision about committing to a prospective employer.
Very much like two sides of a mirror, every company has two images. One side—the one everyone can see—typically reflects a picture of evolving perfection. Usually highlighted by a positive work culture, it presents the company as an organization where everyone receives the support they need, the respect they deserve, and the assurance of a financially secure future.
Turn the mirror over, and the image can be very different. This view might include skeleton-filled closets and a Muzak system masking the conversations of executives nonchalantly discussing the fate of several hundred employees about to be discharged as the result of a company take-over or a division-wide layoff.
The point of this metaphor is to demonstrate that management’s real goals may be very different from the image they project to the public. Don't be fooled into believing company rhetoric about living a balanced life or putting family first—unless there is hard evidence to prove it. Companies claiming to emphasize family culture, personally-directed career pathing, or a life-in-balance philosophy, typically flaunt these benefits as intrinsic and fundamental values of the organization.
In reality, these “feel good” programs must serve a profit motivation. The moment they can no longer be measured as improvements to the bottom line or in employee retention, they’ll be eliminated as costly and ineffective. (If this sounds counter-intuitive, there’s more about corporate culture and how to evaluate psychic benefits in Chapter Seven.)
This chapter continues in the next issue!
Coming up next from Better Mondays: Chapter Two, Part Two - Choose Wisely
Thanks for reading,
Roger Reid | Success Point 360
Click here to read a Free Preview from the eBook of Better Mondays on Amazon:
Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is a certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business. Roger is the author of Better Mondays and Speak Up, and host of Success Point 360 Podcast, offering tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.