In this blistering job market, sometimes just receiving an offer–dream job or not–is so exciting that we may very well end up selling ourselves short by simply not being informed enough about what the offer and company really entails. All of us are probably guilty of this at one point in our careers–whether it’s lack of knowledge or a fear of coming across as too greedy.
But the truth is, the questions you ask of your would-be employer says just as much about you as a candidate as the answers you provided during the interview process. However, it’s also important to ask the right questions at the right time. As a hiring manager, nothing peeves me more when a candidate asks me what the typical hours or benefits are during an initial phone screen.
Salary aside, there are several items you should fully understand about a company before negotiating any job offer. Typically these are great questions to shoot over in an email or discuss in a phone call with the HR manager. If it’s a great company that has their act together, they will have answers to every single one, and based on the response, you can decide what’s right for you, and what is a deal-breaker for joining a company or not.
1. What is included under your “benefits” package? Ex: health insurance coverage (provider options, how much employee pays in, do they cover prescriptions/speciality services, etc.)
2. When does health coverage begin for new employees?
3. Do you offer dental insurance? What is the plan?
4. Do you offer vision insurance?
5. Do you offer a discount on a gym membership?
6. What is the 401K offering (vesting, matching, can i roll over my current 401k into yours?)
7. Do you offer Life or Disability Insurance?
8. How much paid vacation do you offer per year? Is it accrued? Does it carry over if I don’t use it?
9. How many Sick and/or Personal days do I get?
10. What are the official company paid holidays? I have other religious holidays that fall outside of these, will you grant them?
11. Does the company provide a company-issued cell phone or reimburse for cell phone plans?
12. Does the company reimburse for mileage driven for work? or Do you offer pre-tax commuter cards?
13. What are the typical office hours? Is there flexibility to work from home on certain days?
14. Do I get overtime for going over 40 hours (applies to exempt vs non exempt status)
15. Do you offer a stock/equity package? What are the details and the vesting period?
16. What is the pay period? Every week, every two weeks, etc.?
17. What is the bonus structure? Is it fixed based on personal goals or variable based on company performance?
18. What is your desired start date for me?
19. Will I be issued a corporate card or a petty cash fund?
And lastly, this is a question you must ask yourself:
20. Will this role help me advance my career?
Ultimately if you don’t feel like some of these apply to your exact job, location or role, it’s perfectly fine to eliminate them. Beyond the basic structures of what the company offers, always trust your gut and make sure that taking this job is a step in the right direction for your desired career path.
I’d love to hear in the comments any other questions you feel are necessary to ask after receiving an offer, but before accepting a job.
Careerisma 