It’s tempting to jump to a new opportunity, just make sure you are landing in the right place.

What are some issues to explore when deciding on moving from one job to another?

Stability:

• How frequently have they advertised and hired for the position you are considering?
• What are their thoughts about the person leaving/who left the position?
• How is their stock doing if they are publicly traded?
• Have they had any downsizing in key divisions, recently?
• Have they had frequent management changes at the top tier?
• Are they targets for takeover, or have they been in the news about being purchased?
• Have they been purchased by a firm outside of their industry sector?
• Have they lost major clients in the past year?

Ethics:

• Are they involved in class-action lawsuits, or high profile individual lawsuits?
• In discussions with them, what corporate image do they identify strongly with?
• How are their business practices viewed within their industry sector?
• What do websites like Glassdoor.com have in the way of reviews/opinions about the company?

Compatibility:

• How compatible are your skills and experience to the demands of the job?
• What is the chemistry like between you and your future manager?
• When you ask them what they look for in people they hire, do you identify with their preferences?
• Are the time demands of the work compatible with your personal commitments?

Growth:

• Is the company growing, and do they discuss future plans for the company’s growth?
• Have they expanded recently in terms of products or services offered, or into new trade regions?
• Where and how have they grown in the last two years?
• What do financial publications say about their numbers, results or projections?

Opportunity:

• What do they say when you ask how long employees typically stay in this job?
• What do they look at when deciding on future advancement?
• How are salary increases decided on, and are they merit or performance based?
• Do they support reimbursement for pursuing relevant industry educations courses?

Culture:

• How do they describe their company culture and the people who fit within it?
• What are their values, community involvement, and causes they support, publicly?
• What do your interviewers say when you ask them why they like to work there?
• Are they a collaborative company culture, with a strong team spirit?
• Is the business philosophy task and process oriented, or is there a strong focus on client service?

A lot of your research can be done through various trade publications that you can find through our 2015 Resources page:

http://buckleysearch.com/2015resources.htm

Attitudes in an interview influence a hiring decision.

Hiring managers are alert to signs that a potential employee may harbour inappropriate attitudes. They look for signals indicating a temperament, personality or expectations that are misaligned with the position’s challenges.

What are some of the attitudes that raise red flags in an interview?

• Entitlement

Entitled candidates project the expectation that employers will accede to their demands and that they can check off a wish list of employment conditions that they have. The reality is that most hiring situations involve negotiating in a spirit of goodwill and compromise.

• Unrealistic salary expectations

Making quantum leaps in salary from job to job is perceived by most employers as unrealistic. When they see candidates asking for significantly higher than average salary increases, they begin reconsidering. This impression is reinforced if the candidate’s overall experience and knowledge base is out of line with their expectations.

• Lack of enthusiasm and interest

Employers want to hire motivated people and they stay away from candidates who don’t display interest in the opportunity under discussion. People who show interest, ask relevant questions, show willingness to take on more responsibility, and who have a team player’s mentality will move forward.

• Inflexibility or lack of cooperation

Inflexibility is broadcast when candidates balk at considering overtime, or extending themselves beyond the core job description. An expressed willingness to do whatever is required to benefit the team or the department is always a positive point to bring up in an interview.

• Negative comments about past employers

Speaking negatively about past employers always raises red flags. The interview starts wondering about the candidate’s manageability, and whether they will create dissension in the department. If you have negative feelings, make a decision to let go of them, even if they are justified. This is in your best interests.

Positive attitudes make the human connection stronger.