TOP 5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN ACCEPTING A JOB OFFER

So you’ve been offered the job… congratulations!

And more likely than not, you’ve probably got multiple offers on the table. No longer are the days where you get one offer and you accept it with no second thought. 

Now you have to think carefully about each role and which one will be better for you. It’s a big decision and you want to get it right.

But we’ve got you covered. Think about these 5 things to consider when choosing your next step:

CONSIDER THE SALARY THEY’RE OFFERING

Let’s start with this because it’s the first thing you’ll probably be considering. When you applied for the role in the first place, it was the factor that either drew you to apply or made you hesitate.

The salary you’re offered is a huge determiner of how much a company thinks you're worth and how much they value the work you’ll be doing. A company can display they care about you by promising great benefits, progression, and work culture (which we’ll be touching on after this), but if they offer a salary that is lower than your expectations – it's reasonable to think about it before accepting.

But it’s also reasonable to remember a good job isn’t always dependent on salary.

It’s important, and you deserve to be paid what you’re worth, but sometimes accepting a job purely for the salary can put you in tricky situations in the long run. 

Keep reading to find out the other things you should consider.

CONSIDER THE BENEFITS THEY’RE OFFERING

Benefits are crucial for 2 things:

1. They’ll keep you engaged and help you to feel valued by employers

2. They save you money

From healthcare schemes to retail discounts to gym memberships, so many companies offer truly incredible discounts that won’t just be convenient but can save you sometimes thousands of pounds.

So when accepting an offer, think about the company's benefits. They don’t have to be extravagant (could be hybrid working or more days off) but it often does show you that the company is making a huge effort to engage their employees and create a culture that encourages well-being and work-life balance.

CONSIDER THE POSSIBLE PROGRESSION

This one is my favourite. 

Progression is something I wish people would think about more when accepting a job because it can truly determine the future of your career, including your salary, your opportunities, and your ability to shape a career into something you’re truly passionate about.

At enable, we work with some amazing startups and TechForGood companies that are really pioneering in their industry and have plans to grow enormously. If you’ve been offered by a company that is not only scaling itself but giving you the opportunity of taking on a role that will be crucial to the success of the business – opportunities are endless.

So maybe you’re stuck between a role offering a high salary from the get-go, or a role offering an okay salary but a fantastic package in an industry you love… which one would you take?

I wrote a blog recently called ‘Progression VS Salary’, and I explained how a good salary now, doesn’t mean a good salary later. It also doesn’t mean:

• Good opportunities

• A job you truly enjoy

• An industry you can see yourself staying in

Always accept an offer with the future in mind because if you want a career that is constantly evolving, constantly pushing you to grow and succeed, you need to think about whether the company will be offering you that. 

CONSIDER YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES 

You want to like your job. If you’re switching companies because you find your current one too mundane, remember that.

It’s easy to get so caught up with leaving a company, that we don’t truly reflect on the company and the role we’re getting ourselves into. Having a passion for what you do is important, so always:

• Revaluate the job description

• Think back to the interview and what day-to-day tasks were mentioned

• Compare it with the route you want to go down

Before accepting the offer, you have to be sure that the responsibilities will challenge you and interest you.

If you’re an ambitious individual who wants to produce quality work and climb the career ladder, this will become very difficult if you don’t enjoy what you do, and it could potentially limit other opportunities in the future

CONSIDER THE COMPANY’S WORK CULTURE

You spend 5 days a week at work so you want to get along with your colleagues and feel comfortable in your environment. 

• 96% of employees in leadership positions blame lack of collaboration as the top reason for workplace failures (Zippia)

• 57% of people say having a best friend at work makes it more enjoyable (Wildgoose)

• 56% of employees who experienced conflict at work reported stress, anxiety, and/ or depression. 40% reported being less motivated (Gitnux)

Stressful days are a given, but dreading seeing your colleagues and bosses should never be the standard. 

You want to work somewhere you feel valued, you have fun, and you feel supported. As you can see from the stats, it has a huge impact on your day-to-day, and eventually your overall career.

- Written by Arun Sutton

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If you are looking for more advice or help finding your next job, we can help, please give us a call on: 0117 301 8495 or take a look at our jobs page. Alternatively, if you’re an employer in the UK looking to recruit and need someone with real recruiting expertise then we can help – let’s chat.