×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Evaluating, rejecting or accepting a job offer

Opinion & Analysis
LANDING a job offer is generally good news, but it can demonstrate to be just as demanding as the process of searching for a new job. Sometimes, it is very difficult to just accept or reject the opportunity without doing justice and proper research.

guest column:Emmanuel Zvada

LANDING a job offer is generally good news, but it can demonstrate to be just as demanding as the process of searching for a new job. Sometimes, it is very difficult to just accept or reject the opportunity without doing justice and proper research.

Before accepting or rejecting an offer, give yourself time to evaluate a job offer objectively and thoroughly, and politely request a minimum of two days to decide whether it’s really the job for you.

A good starting point is to evaluate your job offer before accepting or rejecting an offer.

You may be dying to get a job, but I advise you to seriously evaluate a job offer before accepting it.

I am not saying that you should be selective, but all the same you would really want to be assured that the job you are getting is in consonance with your skills and capabilities as well as there is growth in your career financially and otherwise.

Deciding whether to accept, negotiate, or turn down a job offer is a big deal. We will unpack some snippets of how you can make that decision.

What is the pay structure?

Your pay cheque will cover your monthly bills, but you also need to consider employee benefits, perks and the non-tangible things that make a job a good one. Know the salary you will be getting before signing any contract. Please do note that it should be at least at par with what the industry is paying for the same position elsewhere.

This simply means that you have to do your research of what is being paid in the industry before accepting any job offer. Of course, it helps also if there are extras such as incentives or bonuses.

Some companies also provide perks such medical aid, education incentives etc. Benefits can make up a substantial portion of your compensation package, so it is worth assessing this part of your contract carefully, as their value is often less obvious than the value of the salary.

The salary that you have been offered might be higher than your current one but, if your employer’s retirement plan contributions are lower, you could be worse off in the long term.

This may not really cost much, but it shows how much the company values its employees. When you are considering a job offer, there is more to think about than just how much you are going to be paid. Salary is, of course, important, and it could be the deciding factor in accepting a job offer.

What are the job’s duties and responsibilities?

Job responsibilities are what an organization uses to define the work that needs to be performed in a role and the functions that an employee is accountable for. Before accepting the job, you should have a clear understanding of what you are going to do. You must have knowledge of what you will be doing, so you can see if you will be able to utilize the talents you have acquired at school.

Read the job description and person specification again. You need to feel confident that the work itself is something that you want to do, and that it will give you satisfaction.

If the job specification does not match up to the job title, you might need to ask them for further clarification. If you are concerned that your skills might not match those listed on the job specification, it might be worth to assess how well your knowledge and experience align with the role requirements.

Workplace culture and environment Before making any decision, you have to know if the company is engaging in illegal activities, or is dishonest in its dealings. Know the culture of the organisation and also if it has proper corporate governance practices. Culture is the character and personality of your organization.

It’s what makes your business unique and is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviours, and attitudes. Positive workplace culture attracts talent, drives engagement, impacts happiness and satisfaction, and affects performance.

The personality of your business is influenced by everything and you also have considered if you feel a sense of pride in belonging to the company.

Is the company stable?

Stability is the ability to withstand a temporary problem, such as a decrease in sales, lack of capital or loss of a key employee or customer. Consider if the firm will still be around for at least as long as you plan on working there. If you accept a job offer on impulse and it doesn’t work out, you might end up desperate to leave after discovering that the organisation is not stable.

This could make you look unreliable to potential employers, leading you even further away from your chosen career path.

How credible is your job title and working hours?

Some positions have over-inflated titles to attract applicants. Jobs with titles like “Graduate trainee management” should be probed so that you can see if your career path at that company will actually lead to a managerial position.

Find out if the company requires frequent overtime, or if the job necessitates that you work on weekends and holidays. There are also some jobs that require working at night. There is nothing wrong with this, but knowing this will prepare you for skipping family gatherings and weekend getaways in order to work. What are the company’s restrictions?

Know the company policies on tardiness and absences. Evaluate the contract. Some contracts prohibit employees who leave a company from working for a competitor for a specified period of time. This is legal and enforceable, so before accepting any offer you should know the terms and conditions of the offer so that you will be in a position to decide whether to accept or reject the offer.

Getting a new job might be your priority right now, but you still need to think carefully about how it will impact your long-term career prospects. It is difficult to find a job, and you may be very tempted to accept the first company that is willing to hire you.

Jumping at the first job offer you get even if it’s not quite what you want can be tempting, especially if you are unemployed, unhappy at your job, or eager to change careers. But before you say “yes,” it’s important to take a close look at whether accepting the new job would be a smart career move.

 Emmanuel Zvada is a human capital consultant and an international recruitment expert. He writes in his personal capacity.