If you’ve been out of work for any length of time, you will probably be excited by almost any offer that comes your way. That’s a problem, says Marlon Cousin, managing partner for the Marquin Group, an executive recruiting firm specializing in diverse talent. Every job offer should be scrutinized — from how tasks are managed to how employees are treated. You should be clear on the company’s goals as well as the resources allotted for these objectives. “Sometimes people want a job so badly that they don’t ask the right questions or watch the indicators in the office or the environment.â€
Here are several questions Cousin suggests you ask before you take the job:
- What are your top three key performance indicators for your company? (What top three things does the company want to achieve?)
- What do want this role to get accomplished in the first six months?
- How would you describe your culture? Cousin says that most people don’t fail because of performance they fail because they don’t fit well with the company’s culture.
- How does your organization define success and how is it measured?
- Is it possible to work virtually? How do you view the virtual workforce? This sends a clear message about how a company feels about work/life balance.
- How do you encourage innovation in your organization?
- How do you view candidates with creative out of the box ideas, does the organization embrace new ideas? This gives you a sense of how forward thinking the organization is. Do they value creativeness, or are they more of traditional organization.
- On a scale of one — ten how would measure your organizational capabilities? This question speaks to the health and viability of the company.
- Do employees enjoy coming to work? Do they have the tools and resources to do their job?
- Why did my successor leave the position?
- You should always inquire about how current events have affected the state of the company. For example if there have been layoffs: I saw you laid off 2,000 people? What drove that decision? Are you planning to sell off any more divisions?