Employers, quite rightly, are putting their best foot forward. But how to choose? Not to exaggerate, it can be a million-dollar ordeal. A poor decision can set you back many years in lost potential income and career traction, not to mention the loss of self esteem and confidence that are essential for successful careers. And vice versa. The right call can set your future self up for life.
Seeking an environment to support your deeper values? There has never been a more transparent time to check your future employer ‘walks the talk’. Probe, delve, dig deep, ask hardball questions, and uncover. If the company’s narrative is an excellent life-work balance, but the expectation is to work overtime and weekends occasionally, then potentially they are not delivering what is promised. If you think this, don’t be afraid to ask. Nothing is off topic nowadays. If you feel this, maybe the fit isn’t there after all.
Utilise your network, ask ex-employees, current employees, and any connections. Are their opinions congruent? Always meet with your future manager and peers and ask for examples that demonstrate the values important to you. Are there policies to support what they are saying? Simple questions such as how they have handled the pandemic and lessons learnt highlight or expose values, leadership qualities and more.
Research and more research! If considering startups or new ventures, enquire about funding, team longevity, the quality of the board and the leadership team. Check out their credentials and background as well. At a cursory level, this is easily done through LinkedIn and other social media. Twitter uncovers a lot! For any organisation, always ask about employee turnover, internal promotions, lateral moves, etc. Don’t accept generic answers — look for detail and authenticity in the dialogue.