A lot of employees have short-changed themselves during job interviews as they fail to ask basic questions.
In most cases, most of them are carried away with the ‘impressive’ salary and few allowances spelt out in the offer. There is also the fear that another opportunity may not come their way again, feeling a sense of obligation to follow through.
HOW TO PLAY SAFE
A career coach, Mrs. Funmilola Omole, explains that anyone can avoid joining the wrong firm by asking a few questions regarding the company, during the interview session. To her, people accept job offers without a second thought because of the basic human desire to be accepted.
“The feeling that the organisation believes in you is a great feeling and strong psychological appeal and it requires lots of efforts to resist such excitement. In most cases, they forget a job is a serious, multi-year commitment and that means before you give a nod, make sure you have answers to certain concerns that boost your confidence in decision making,” she said.
Here are five questions you should ask before saying yes to your new employer:
Does the company compensate employees (sustainably)?
While some companies only pay basic salaries, other reputable firms pay salaries as well as additional incentives, which is an extra pay, based on the performance of an employee.
Ensure you talk about the forms of incentive that your new employer offers before signing the duplicate of your employment letter. Ask the criteria of earning a financial reward to easily structure your performance to maximise it.
But if the potential employer bargains for less, ask about their salary review period.
Don’t hesitate to ask about the allowance in a straight-forward and polite manner as it will definitely save hassle and time
Do you pay transportation, accommodation allowances and how much?
It is observed that when an employee switches their company, they worry about the additional cost of traveling to the new office. And if you get a job offer from a different town or city, it is important and necessary to talk about transportation allowance before you sign.
Don’t hesitate to ask about the allowance in a straightforward and polite manner as it will definitely save hassle and time.
In addition, ask about the accommodation and everyday expense you will need to meet while traveling through either of the means of transportation.
Any training opportunities for new and existing employees?
This is so important because a lot of companies will only train new employees, neglecting or expecting old ones to foot the bills of sharpening their skills. At the end of the day, if they are rusty, they will be shown the door.
Professional training programmes play a major role in career building and that is the reason all reputable and forward looking firms should take it serious. Therefore, it is crucial for every new applicant to find out about prospective employer’s training programme.
You should ask how easy they will make it for you to earn an additional degree because if it is not flexible, it will be difficult for you to improve yourself. The implication is that the management may soon employ another person with better qualification to replace you or above you and in most cases, they are always younger and inexperienced.
But the best companies will not only provide financial support for your education but also cut your working time to help you in earning a degree.
RECALL
- Avoid getting too excited
- Be confident in decision making
- Learn about all policies of the new company
- Develop yourself by all means
What is your company’s policy on vacation?
Some people may feel this question is unnecessary as it might deny you of your chance of employment. You need all the confidence to ask about your new company policy about vacation before you give the nod of approval as it is the right time to learn about all policies.
Learn about annual leaves allowed to every employee. Nowadays, many companies are offering flexible leave options. For instance, the new company policy might allow you to convert your overtime into a full day leave.
Do you have facility for flexible working hours?
A lot of companies actually casualise their workers, either deliberately or unconsciously. It is crucial for you to ask about the company policies related to work hours.
If your new company will offer you flexible timing, then you would easily accomplish your every activity, especially with your family, on time. Else, you will miss out a great opportunity to balance your personal and professional life.
