When you’re looking for a new position, few things are as exciting as having a legitimate job offer in your hands. While your first instinct might be to accept immediately, it’s usually wise to take a moment before you formally sign on the dotted line.
Often, there are details you’ll want to learn to make sure that the job offer genuinely meets your needs. That ensures that you aren’t moving forward based on inaccurate assumptions that could come back to haunt you later, allowing you to avoid a potentially tricky situation.
If you’ve received a job offer, here’s what you should do before accepting.
Ask for Details About Benefits and Perks
Most job offers list an initial salary, but they don’t always go into detail about other forms of benefits and perks you may receive. Since you want to be able to evaluate the total compensation package – making it easier to determine if the job offer is fair based on the role and what you bring to the table – request additional details from the hiring manager.
Ideally, you want to learn about healthcare coverage, retirement plans, and paid time off at a minimum. It’s also smart to ask about bonus structures, if applicable, as that could help you determine if the base pay rate makes sense.
Find Out Whether the Salary Is Negotiable
Depending on the employer, there might be some flexibility regarding your starting salary. As a result, it’s wise to ask whether the pay rate is negotiable, allowing you to generally test the waters. If not, you know that you need to determine if what’s presented works for you. If it is, you can do additional research to see if the offer is competitive and, if not, could present a strong counteroffer once you have the data in hand.
Request Details About Education and Training Opportunities
While some hiring managers may discuss education benefits or training opportunities when you dig into the total compensation package, others may not focus on these perks. Since that’s the case, asking about them directly is an intelligent move.
In most cases, having access to company-provided training or educational benefits like tuition reimbursement can make it easier to further your career. Plus, it shows that the company is willing to invest in its workforce, which is typically a good sign.
When you broach this topic, you may want an overview of any onboarding processes, too. Onboarding makes a difference when you’re trying to get your footing in a new workplace, so finding a company that has a formal, lengthy plan in place could make it easier to succeed once you start.
Ask for a Comprehensive Offer in Writing
If the hiring manager mentions benefits, perks, paid time off, bonus structures, or anything else that isn’t contained in the formal, written job offer, request a new one that includes all of those details. When the agreement is in writing, it’s functionally more binding, increasing the odds that you’ll get everything that was promised.
Additionally, if a hiring manager is hesitant to put it in writing, that could be a red flag. While most employers are honorable when it comes to verbal agreements, others aren’t, so it may be better to turn the job down if the hiring manager refuses.
Ultimately, by discussing all of the points above before you accept a job offer, you can make sure it genuinely meets your needs. If you’re like to learn more or are currently looking for new opportunities, TempStaff can help. Contact us today.
