Better job? Better life? It’s not about the money!
More than 70% of the workforce are unengaged. Huge productivity gains could be created by companies focusing on increasing the engagement of their staff and simultaneously careers would develop at a faster pace. Engagement starts in the hiring process with progressive companies designing recruitment processes, benefits, offices space and new jobs themselves with engagement built it. Whilst it is tempting to take the first job offer that comes along, you should be more tuned in to the ‘why’ and the ‘what’. Why are you leaving? What do you really want?
When considering a new job it’s all too easy to think in terms of career development, salary increases and more responsibility. Yet careers are not always that linear. In her excellent book Disrupt Yourself, Whitney Johnson is a key proponent of Career Curves and each job change being a new challenge that requires learning and time to become an expert. At which point you should jump again to the next curve and do it all again rather than plateauing. Not everyone needs this level of challenge, but the job change decision making process below should apply to all.
Here are the four things a job applicant needs to think about when being interviewed. Spoiler alert: Money comes last!
1) Challenge is a great place to start.
Does what’s on offer match your needs? Will you die of boredom? This applies to the work itself and the conditions you operate in. Jobs in larger organisations may seem more challenging on the surface. For example, you may be tasked with increasing App usage by 500,000 and face considerable pressure to succeed. But usually there will be considerable resources available to facilitate this moving of the dial. Conversely, when you’re in a start-up the challenge could be to get things moving from zero and establish the first 50,000 users. 50,000 sounds a lot easier then 500,000 until you consider the conditions may include having no team to delegate work to, a vacuum of operating process and general lack of organisation. Thus, making the start-up job considerably harder than the former example.
Having a Greenfield operation means no limitations and complete flexibility to create right? You may get the flexibility (barring the odd micromanaging founder!) but you are severely limited by finite resources and budget. The term boot strapped start-up is a reality in most cases, with the Catch-22 cycle of: Create traction, gain investment … but to get the traction you need more and more investment!
2)The second aspect to consider is progression.
Perhaps you need more ‘me’ time and don’t want the pressures of an ‘up or out’ culture. Perhaps you are the opposite. Try to be honest with potential employers and yourself. Not all employers want the young, ambitious hotshots when a steady and reliable longer-term hire would make much better business sense. Don’t set yourself up for problems by overplaying your immediate ambitions. Don’t give false expectations which lead to a feeling of being misled on either side.
3)The work environment.
This comprises the physical space in which you will work and the people you will interact with daily. You will spend a large proportion of your life at work and a poor fit of culture and comfort will affect you significantly over time and hold back your development. A working space can energise, motivate and increase productivity through its design. The office directly reflects a company’s culture and to some degree dictates staff behaviour through additions like telephone booths for quiet calls, coffee stations and other meeting points. You must enjoy going into work every day to thrive, so if it doesn’t motivate you during the interview process then don’t accept an offer. Similarly, you need to be comfortable with the people that you meet or talk to during the interview process, especially when it comes to your future line manager. However, interviews do not give a fair reflection of people’s normal behaviour so don’t judge interviewers too harshly for appearing a bit distant or cold.
4) Last and most definitely least, comes the money.
If the first three aspects match your aspirations, then don’t worry about getting a salary bump. When asked for your salary requirements its fine to ask for a higher salary but don’t go crazy, ask for too much and risk losing out on a great opportunity for the sake of an extra 10 or 20%. Contrary to popular belief there is never a perfect fit for any job. Companies end up with a shortlist, choose the best two or three for a final interview and then pick one. Unless there is a standout winner, the simple choice is for the cheaper option. I can’t advocate dropping salary, as you don’t want to create any financial pressures that could affect your ability to concentrate on the new job. But do remember why you are leaving your current job in the first place. Think … if you had the same job and the same salary, but in a more accommodating company, a better environment, nicer people and a great boss … would you take it?
You’d be stupid not to because in the right job and in the right environment, with a supportive team you will love what you’re doing and flourish. The salary will improve soon enough, but more importantly you will learn and gain experience at a much higher rate because you are fully engaged.
Good luck!
Anthony Payne
Disclaimer: All the opinions are my own and do not reflect those of RedCloud Technologies Ltd. This document is provided for informational and discussion purposes only.
