Despite the fact that we spend a significant amount of time at work, when it comes to making a decision about our future, most of us rely only on our expert intuition without any solid data to back our decision up.
Consider it this way. When you meet a new person, how do you decide whether or not to invest into a relationship with them? Your natural tendency is to search for clues that assist you in connecting their identity with your own. It is unlikely that the relationship will succeed if the two are very different or if the other person does not share your values. A combination of these signals provides valuable insights. into forming an opinion, which is further supported by your intuition.
Is your level of due diligence equal when it comes to your job? Ultimately, companies are like people in some respects. Put in the same effort as you would if you were getting to know a new person and analyse whether the relationship is worth investing in.
You should factor the following questions into your decision before investing your time in a company.
Is it a good fit with the rest of your life?
Most of us think that our job is separate from our personal life. When you're considering a new job, you need to consider how it may affect your life as a whole. Do you think it will affect your relationships or your health? What impact will it have on your daily schedule? Having a long and stress-free commute, dinner with your family, or picking your kids up from school can all be important factors to consider when deciding on a new job.
Trying to focus solely on your professional goals while ignoring the impact they have on your personal goals will result in constant conflict and will end up negatively impacting your personal health.
Examine how your expectations from the job will fit with other aspects of your life and what changes will be necessary to make them work together.
Did the company perform well under pressure?
Was the COVID-19 crisis handled well by the company? You can find out a lot about the culture at a company by going to Glassdoor. The company culture might not fit every employee, so you may see some bad reviews.
As long as the majority of the responses are positive, you will be on the right track. If they handled the COVID-19 crisis well, then you can be confident that they will perform well as an employer in the future.
How well do your priorities match theirs?
Find out if meeting deadlines are given more weight than what people are learning on the job if you value learning and growth. Knowing your values will help you determine whether you will thrive or barely survive at the company. Find out how the company empowers its employees if you value creativity and innovation. Do people feel safe speaking up and taking risks? What happens when things go wrong? Identify your top 2-3 priorities and compare them to what the company offers.
Are you willing to accept the company's flaws?
The majority of the time, we are driven toward a company's success, but fail to look at its shortcomings. Companies aren't perfect. Whenever there are strengths, there are also weaknesses. Putting your detective hat on and digging around will help you identify these flaws that are not evident from the outside. Search for ex-employees. Take a look at things from their perspective. However, don't rely on one piece of feedback alone. Multiple people pointing out the same thing indicates that it is true. Understanding the issues upfront will not only help you make the right decision but also prepare you for dealing with them in the future.
Finding out if a company is the perfect match for you can be challenging. It's important to be brutally honest with yourself when you're looking for a new job. This means you must know what you want and be prepared to ask the right questions. If you ask these questions, you’re on the right track toward landing the gig of your dreams.