I have decided to write this blog, as this has happened to three candidates recently who asked my advice, it wasn’t in my sector so I was not representing any of them so I had no vested interest, but I would have given the same advice anyway, believe it or not ?
Even in the midst of a pandemic, some industries are absolutely thriving and there is a huge demand for certain skillsets, so employers often compete against each other to secure the very best talent on the market, and many candidates are finding themselves in a fortunate position where they have a number of job offers on the table at the same time. The dream, right???
Not always, while it is exciting to be in demand and have job offers at different companies, once the initial excitement wears off, it can even be a little stressful as now you have to choose what offer to accept. Which of these roles is the one that best aligns with your career aspirations and motivations? That can be a daunting task, you do not want to accept the wrong job, and be in a position when you are on the market again in 6 months.
You are in a wonderful position, so let us start the decision-making process!!
> A pay-rise
> A good working environment
> More flexibility
> Mentoring
> Opportunity to work closer to home, or now a hybrid model split between the office or at home.
> Career progression
With several opportunities to choose from, it can be difficult to evaluate job offers objectively, and it is incredibly easy to forget what you were looking for and why you wanted a new job in the first place. In a candidate, short market companies will have to sell their opportunity to you, and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in a bright shiny new thing, So I would look at what is a must-have in this role, versus what is nice to have?
Remuneration – I think that is important to everyone. But do not just think about basic salary but look at each offer as a total package. What benefits are included, is there a Car Allowance? Would you have share options? Family Healthcare? Pension etc
What about additional bonuses and incentives for good performance? Are these personal, team, or company incentives? These extras can make a big difference to the overall package of a role. Some companies offer great incentives whilst other companies’ incentive plans can be hard to achieve. It’s important to take them all into account and add them up, especially if money is your main motivator.
Culture – this is another very important factor in most people’s final decision, Company culture has a big influence on whether you will be happy in a job long term. Try to compare the impression you got from the different office environments when you had your interview. How did the interviewers describe the culture? Did it sound like it would be a good fit for you? Could you see yourself working there?
Work-life Balance – this has probably changed for the better due to Covid-19, but if it’s not a full-time work-from-home position, you need to consider the distance between the office and where you live and the commute you will need to endure. How many days can you work from home if they go with a hybrid model? Are their systems set up so you can work from home, will they provide the necessary equipment? How flexible were they about school drops offs etc?
Manager – Having a good working relationship with your manager is very important, as it gets the best out of you. Try to recall your first impressions, and do you feel from what you know so far if they would further your skills through learning and development, mentoring? Could you see yourself having a good working relationship with them? Even though you probably only have a few meetings to go on, these are all important factors to think over before you accept a new role.
Let us be honest negotiating multiple job offers is a tricky business as there are probably many parties involved, so you are going to have to disappoint more than one party, so if you have considered all your options, and you are still unsure, just go with your GUT. Its normally right ?
