How to choose the right workplace for you?

1 year ago, when I had to choose my next company, I had some specific criteria that guided me in my decision: the people, professional development & being Impactful. Melio answered all these criteria (by the way, it still does).

Most of you have surely been in a situation where you needed to choose between two or more offers from great companies. But how do you make the right choice? We each have our own criteria, things that are important for us in our day-to-day work. Here are a few things to consider before making a decision.

First, why are you looking for a new job?
When choosing our next workplace, there are so many things that can impact our decision. To make this decision a bit easier, here are some important points you should ask yourself before choosing:

1. What’s missing in your current position?

If you find yourself thinking about it - even if you’re not actively looking for a new job - you need to understand why. Try to point out what exactly is bothering you in your current job.

• Direct manager: Micromanagement, unclear needs and expectations, unprofessionalism or just bad chemistry.
• The people: Do you share projects with your team or do you work by yourself? Do they support and encourage you or actually bring you down? Do you enjoy seeing other people when you come to the office?
• Company culture: If the company culture is not good - for example, a negative work environment, not having the freedom to initiate new projects, Improper communication, bad management style, incompatible company values, etc - it probably affects the way your manager, team members and everyone in the company behave. It can also affect your projects, the way you work, the way everyone reacts to different situations. Company culture is the heart of the company, and if you don’t like it, it will have a negative effect on your day-to-day work.
• Work-life balance: How many hours a day do you spend at your workplace? How many hours do you need to work outside the official working hours? Is your current balance between work and personal life right for you?
• Professional Development: During your time in your current job, did you achieve what you planned? Did you grow professionally? Do you have more places to grow or did you reach a glass ceiling?
• Being Impactful (challenges): Challenges keep us on our toes, keep us interested and help us become more professional and impactful. But there are people who would prefer the familiar and known place. Check yourself–do you feel that everything is really easy for you? Do you like it or actually need a change?
• Location/Hybrid mode: Can you walk to the office or do you spend hours in the car? Do you need to come to the office each day?
• Salary: Last but not least–are you happy with your salary? When was the last time you got a raise? These are very important questions, which might reflect the company culture and also the appreciation of your work.

2. What do you love in your current position?

Along with what I mentioned in the previous section, try to think - which of these things do you actually love in your current job? Make sure you recognize these in the next company you choose. Be sure to look for them during the hiring process.

What’s next?
Now that you are actively looking for a new job, what are the next steps to take in your journey for finding the best fit?

1. Create a list. Try to think about more specific things you like and dislike about your current job, for example, company size, technology stack, benefits, etc. Create a full list with all the things that might affect your decision.
2. Rank the list. Now that you have this information, you can actually rank it–from the most important thing to the least important thing.
3. Rank the list for each company you are interviewing at. Rank & compare the different companies you are interviewing at. Choose a number between 1–5 for each combination of company & issue. After you finish the table it’ll be easier for you to make a good decision.

Unknown secrets only a recruiter would know:
Here are some more tips you can use. These tips might be the most important steps before you make the final decision.

• What you see is what you get (or, trust your intuition). The hiring process is the window to the company itself. It can show a lot about the company culture & the people’s professionality. Think about the interviewers you met during the process. The way they treat you during the interviews.
• Do you know people who work/worked in the company? Even if you just studied together in high school or have a mutual friend–don’t hesitate to ask people you know about the company and everything that is important to you. They will probably give you the most honest feedback about it and could answer your questions.
• Salary (The highest offer is not always the best). In the current market, this point can be very tricky and sometimes might hide things the company doesn’t want you to know. Try to maximize the offer conditions, but don’t be blinded by money. As I mentioned before–trust your intuition!
• Questions for recruiters: During the process, the person you will have the most contact with will be the recruiter. Use this connection to get a better understanding of the company. You can ask them why *they* chose this company and what are the main things that represent the company (in their eyes). Feel free to ask them to talk to someone from the company if you have any further questions.

In general, the more info you can get about the company, the easier the decision will be. This is exactly the time to talk to people, search on Google, hear some podcasts, and do your best research, so you won’t need to do it again in a few months.

We can’t always get all the information or answers we are looking for, but we should definitely try to reduce the uncertainty as much as possible. I know I did it with Melio, and it paid off big.

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