The Pongo Blog
What's Most Important in Accepting a Job Offer?
September 16, 2010 (12:15PM) by Rick Saia, CPRW
Ever get the feeling that you and the people who run businesses are on different planets?
If you do, you're not alone, at least when it comes to what a job seeker is looking for in an employer.
A recent study by HR consultancy Towers Watson found differences of opinion between employers and employees on the reasons people want to work for a company. Here are the top seven from both groups:
| |
Employer View |
Employee View |
| 1 |
Competitive base pay |
Competitive base pay |
| 2 |
Reputation of the organization as a great place to work |
Challenging work |
| 3 |
Challenging work |
Convenient work location |
| 4 |
The business/industry of the organization |
Opportunities for career advancement |
| 5 |
Opportunities to learn new skills |
Vacation/holiday/paid time off |
| 6 |
Opportunities for career advancement |
Reputation of the organization as a great place to work |
| 7 |
Organization's financial health |
Flexible schedule |
When you look at these lists, the groups agree on only four points. Sure, money is at the top of both lists, but look at the other reasons. The employees' reasons (convenient work location, vacation/holiday/paid time off, and flexible schedule) all speak to the need for work/life balance. Meanwhile, the employers' reasons (business/industry of the organization, opportunities to learn new skills, and organization's financial health) speak to the issues of job security, company branding, and professional development.
Granted, there are employers that unabashedly promote flexible scheduling and generous paid time off policies to prospective employees, just as much as there are job seekers who place more importance on the company's financial health and opportunities to learn new skills. It's all a matter of what has more value.
With that, I'm turning this over to you: What's most important when you decide to accept a job offer? Is it the work? The company? The money? The things that help with work/life balance? The opportunity to enhance your career? Tell us in a comment below.
RELATED LINKS
How Employers Make Room for Work-Life Balance
If Job Seekers Can Be Flexible, Why Can't Employers?
Has Fear Driven You to Stay in a Job You Hate?
Currently, unless the job is illegal or dangerous or immoral, the opportunity to learn is the most important to me.
Posted by: Kuei-Ti Lu | September 16, 2010 at 5:35 PM | Quote This Comment
@ Kuei-Ti Lu -- Thanks for stopping by. For many, including myself, the learning opportunity is important no matter your age.
Posted by: Rick | September 17, 2010 at 1:49 PM | Quote This Comment
I guess I assume that in a new job I'll learn more things, but what I'm looking for is a 60/40 split of the items that make for a balanced work/life and an opportunity to enhance my career.
Posted by: Kathleen | September 17, 2010 at 9:23 PM | Quote This Comment
@ Kathleen -- Each one of us has priorities. I think your split represents a healthy balance. More employers are breaking out of the "In at 9, out at 5" mold in favor of more flexible arrangements that can allow someone to finish a task at, say, 10 p.m. after spending a few hours of quality time with the kids.
Thanks for commenting!
Posted by: Rick | September 20, 2010 at 12:32 PM | Quote This Comment
The opportunity to enhance my career. Growing in what I love doing most is very important.
Posted by: Nancita Manio | October 13, 2010 at 10:11 PM | Quote This Comment
@ Nancita -- Thanks for your comment. It reminds me of the Confucius quotation: "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
Posted by: Rick | October 14, 2010 at 2:38 PM | Quote This Comment
Most people don’t think about using their intuition when deciding to accept a job, especially if they aren’t quite sure.
If we tap into our intuition, it can either warn us about a job full of dead ends and painful experiences or provide us with a job that turns out to be amazing, if we are willing to follow it.
Posted by: Vickie Champion | March 01, 2011 at 10:59 PM | Quote This Comment
@ Vickie -- Thanks very much for the insightful comment. I can think of a couple of times when my intuition told me to stay away from a couple of potential job offers.
Posted by: Rick | March 02, 2011 at 1:36 PM | Quote This Comment