Discovering that the realities of your new job are not what you expected is a troublingly common experience. Many new job holders face the challenge of certain aspects of the job being quite different from the impression they got during the interview process. These aspects may range from seemingly ‘hard fact’ features of the job such as work hours, salary and job responsibilities to the ‘softer issues’ such as employee morale, corporate culture, the boss’s personality and the company’s leadership expertise. Both employers and candidates play a role in ensuring that the expectations that arise during the interview process match the realities of the job.
Here are a few key actions a job candidate can take
Know what you want – It helps to have an in-depth knowing of what you really want out of your next working experience. It’s not only about a certain type of job at a specific rate for a particular kind of company. Think back on your past work environments, and articulate everything that made them great or worst experiences.
- Determine the range of pay you are comfortable with
- Understand the kind of culture that helps you to thrive at work
- Define the relationships you would like to have with your boss and colleagues
- Identify the kind of work-life balance that supports you best.
Once you have this knowledge, develop a set of questions that you can research or ask job interviewers during your job search.
Know the company – Take the time and trouble to research everything you can about the job, the company and its leadership before you attend an interview.
- Check recent and past news about the company
- Visit its social media pages and see what others are saying
- Find company reviews and find out what your network connections know about the company and its leaders.
Interview the company – A job interview is a two-way process. While it is important to focus on making a great impression, don’t do that at the expense of using the opportunity to also get to know the company better. Pay attention to your entire interview experience and reflect on all aspects of it. Experiencing a lack of professionalism, disorganisation, discourtesy, low morale and poor communication are all signs that should not be disregarded.
Be Absolutely Clear – Before you accept a job offer, don’t hesitate to follow up on any points that are not clear to you. Politely pursue the answers to the questions raised by your research or at your interview that were not answered to your satisfaction.
How a Headhunter Helps
Approaching your job search through an executive search process can also increase your chances of getting what you expect from a new job. Executive search recruiters are resources of expertise that you as a job candidate can tap into. They will have deeper insights into the company, and the team that you could be working with, and they will be able to increase your chances of finding an excellent match.
