It’s that time of your career when an advertised position would have somehow caught your eye, you would have submitted an application without thinking too much about it and hoped for the best.
When you were called for the interview, you went because you were interested, became more interested during the interview and eventually the job was offered to you. What do you do?
How can someone decide whether to accept a job or not?
This is a decision-making process each and every one of us in gainful employment have experienced at least once in our working life. Accepting or refusing a job depends very much on the feeling, identification or relationship we build with the interviewer as well as the organisation as a whole in the build-up from application to job offer.
However, there are a number of undeniable facts you should consider in such a situation.
Once the job offer is received, you need to reconsider the details of the offer and the actual offer. Consideration has to be given to what is being offered as opposed to what you are already earning.
Moreover, the time taken to provide the job offer from the last date of contact and timeframe requested within which to give a reply is a clear indication of the urgency the employer has to fill the position.
Positive and negative aspects of the offer
If seriously considering the job offer, both positive and negative aspects need to be taken into consideration. One can look at new responsibilities, challenges and possibly a development in one’s career.
However, one should also consider what they are leaving behind: colleagues, comfort zone and expertise. More importantly, it is fundamental to consider the real deciding factors behind one’s decision to move.
If this is your first job, ask yourself if this is really what you want to be doing. Someone embarking on the first step towards a career needs to ask this question. This also applies to someone who is considering the last move of their career.
Source of job offer
Google Analytics illustrates that the most common source of job positions on the labour market are recruited through agencies. Recruitment agencies provide organisations with the peace of mind that candidates being considered would have already been screened and interviewed prior to consideration.
Likewise, recruitment agencies provide potential candidates with the peace of mind that the organisation offering the job is a stable one that can guarantee a secure job. Research on vacancy sources shows that recruitment agencies are the most popular and this is because they would only work with reputable employers.
Further questions on job offer
Having considered the details of the job offer, it’s now time to go into the details and determine other relevant points to consider. Is the position on a definite or indefinite basis? What is the job title and description? At what level is the position in the organisation? Who will be your direct superior? Will the position be working as part of a team? What are the initial expectations?
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Accept if...
• You are happy with the financial package offered
• You are looking forward to the new challenges
• You do not have any questions at the back of your mind
• You don’t regret moving from your current position
• The new organisation’s values fit in with what you’re looking for
Don’t accept if...
• Not all the requested information is provided to you
• You are still in doubt about the security of the position
• Promises are made but nothing is put down on black and white
• There is an unclear future, role or responsibility
• You still haven’t met your direct superior after the interview
Robert Delia is a HR specialist with over 20 years’ working experience in various industries. He has lectured in strategy, HR, finance, marketing and management. He is an HR and training consultant with CSB Group.