10 questions to ask yourself before saying yes to a job offer

Saying yes to a job offer is always a big decision. You are making a commitment to a company and they will commit to you. 

To help you navigate through this decision making process, I gathered a 10 point list for you to go through. Let’s go! 

#1 Do you have a clear understanding of the business and what your role would be in it? 

To be able to do your job well and feel confident about it, you need to understand what you are doing and why. This might not 100% be crystal clear to you. 

But if your friend asks you this question, do you think you could handle it? 

#2 Do you feel like you get along with your closest team? How about with the founders?

‍This probably goes without saying. You need to have a feeling that you get along with your closest team. And it is up to you to evaluate how much weight you put on this decision. 

Some want to become friends with their colleagues, some prefer to keep colleagues out of their personal life. And if you are joining a startup, the founders will be very much involved in day-to-day life (the company is their baby), so this needs to be taken into account as well. 

You draw the lines, you know what is best for you. Trust your gut especially in this one. 

#3 How do you get along with your team lead?

‍To be able to grow as a professional, you need someone to guide and help you forward, also in difficult times. Even during the recruitment process you start to create a relationship based on trust with your team lead. 

Are you on the same page with your future team lead and do you feel that you could create a trustful and honest relationship with them?

#4 Does this company share your values? 

‍Why does a company need to share your values? Because decisions based on personal values make the best outcome. If there is a conflict, you will feel it and not in a great way.  To me, this #4 is one of the most important questions.

🐝 Here are TalentBee’s 3 values!

#5 Is the job environment suitable for you? 

By environment I mean a physical and mental environment. 

‍Physically: do you want to work remotely or face to face? Is the location necessary to you?

‍Mentally: is the working pace a fit for you? For example: do you thrive in a fast-paced environment or prefer a stable work environment?

#6 Are you satisfied with the compensation? 

Let’s be honest, money is important. It is not meant to only cover your living costs but also about how you value yourself as a professional and how the company values your expertise. 

Are they open with their salary policy and do you know how to get a raise? 

If you are not satisfied with the compensation, talk about it before signing the job offer.  Honesty is the best policy. 

🐝 Here’s how we at TalentBee started to build our salary model.

#7 Do you see growth opportunities in this company? 

‍Have you discussed setting goals for you? Do you know what kind of possible career paths you might have? Where is the company heading and how could you contribute to it? 

‍Being able to grow professionally will keep you motivated. And the growth doesn’t have to be big or super ambitious, but something that is relevant and motivating to you. 

At TalentBee, we create unique, personal Growth Plans for everyone joining us (I had one too and will be posting about it later!).

#8 Will this make the most of who I am? 

Yes, growing as a professional is important. But we are also human and as humans it motivates us to act if we know there is something personal involved as well. 

In other words, do you think there could be something else on the table for you, to grow as a human being?

#9 Will the company support my lifestyle, as well as my career? 

Work-life balance is essential. In a fast-paced world that we live in, you need an employer who understands that drawing a line between work and free-time will support well-being in general. And this means so many different things to different people! 

#10 Are you running to this job or away from your current job?

This is important and only you know the answer to this. If you are unsure, it might be a good idea to take a breath, wait a while and talk your feelings out with a friend to have another perspective. Tip: I am a big fan of making pros & cons -lists so try that out if it helps you process it even more! 

If you can’t still make up your mind, this is my ultimate advice: would accepting this offer be a heart or mind decision? My advice is always to go with heart decision - even if it might scare you a bit. 😊

👉 In case you need help deciding, I'm happy to have a chat and share my thoughts. Send me a DM on LinkedIn!

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