Starting your new job…

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

IT’s time to start your new job.  What do you need to do beyond show up and wait and see what the company has in store for you.  Of course it is not that simple, but, before you shift gears from the job search/interview process, take a little bit of time and put your search process to rest appropriately.

 

What does this mean?  It means revisiting or creating a list of everyone who assisted you during your job search.  This list includes professional and personal relationships.  This list is critical, because it will form the core of your ongoing networking list that you can refer to in the hopefully unneeded event you are exploring the job market. It is also the list that should have a few names on it that you can find an opportunity to return the favor and assist them in some way,shape, or form.  Once you have this list, you should take time to be intentional and write handwritten thank you notes that you will send via regular mail.  This personal touch will show your intentionality and should include some sort of personal comment as well as letting them know the results of your search.  For those who may have spent extra time or went out of their way, meet with them in person for a thank you lunch or coffee.  This personal touch will go a long way towards deepening these relationships.

 

But, that is not all.  Now you need to turn you attention to your new position.  Remember, first impressions are very important.  Before your first day, write down your objectives for teh first 90 days.  In this list, include who you want to meet, what you want to learn, and what you will need to accomplish for it to be successful.  As you do this, remember some basic points.

• Be ready to learn (you were hired for a skill or expertise, but you don’t know everything).
• Be flexible ( organizations are constantly changing.  Your role may be slightly different than when you interviewed. )
• Look for early wins (big or small.)  Being willing to have a win, no minor how big or small, will make a good impression.
• Be willing to do one more thing than what was asked.  Dont just do the job.  This could be as small as picking up trash in the break room, or as big as staying late for a deadline that is not your but you can assist on.  These little things will make a huge impression.

If you set a positive tone early, you will go a long way with your new employer.

Resigning and the counter offer

AUTHOR: David M. Young

You take a deep breath…you have the offer, you have accepted, and you have a start date.  So all that is left in the process is to resign and move on.  Wait… it is not that simple.  For whatever reason, you decided to look for another job.  Now that you have one, do yourself a favor and think long term.  Where you have been working, whether you like it or not, will be with you for the rest of your career.  It will be on your resume, the friends you made will move to other companies, and very likely, you will want to …or better stated, NEED to use this past employer and the people you worked with for a reference.  SOOOOO…be professional…don’t burn any bridges…don’t do that thing you always wanted to do but were afraid of the consequences.

Now that you have a new job, leave the old job with class and professionalism.  Before you walk in to resign, draw up a formal letter.  In the letter, you don’t have to give any reasons.  And if you will be negative, then don’t give a reason.  But if you can, write a simple letter indicating you are resigning, your desired last day, and thank them for the opportunity to work there and to expand your career.  What ever you do, be gracious.  This will go in your permanent file and you never know if you may want or need to walk through the same doors again in the future.  Your goal is to leave on good terms.  Be aware of any employment agreement you may have signed when you started and do not violate any conditions of that agreement in your exit.  By this, I mean, don’t go back and copy your hard drive before resigning.  If you have had a mobile phone, you may want to get your personal contacts, but don’t violate any professional terms by taking a list of clients, company information, or employee lists.  You may want to get personal emails that you have not saved to a personal location.  But otherwise, as soon as you resign, be ready to not have access to your data.

Now that you have the formal letter written, schedule time with your immediate supervisor as soon as possible.  It is appropriate and expected that generally you give “two weeks” notice.  So make sure you are resigning two or more weeks before your start date for your next job.  In that conversation, again, don’t air your dirty laundry.  Be gracious.  Thank them for the opportunity to grow in your career.  Let them know you have decided to take a new position and your desired last day.  Let them know you want to do whatever you can to help in the transition and your exit.  And before you leave, hand your supervisor your letter  Companies handle a resignation in many different ways.  You may have exit paperwork, you may have to meet with others, you may have an exit interview, and you may also need to follow formal resignation protocol.  Whatever it is, be flexible and available.  In some cases, you may be “escorted” back to your desk to get your things and that may serve as your last day.  So be ready…

But, you should also be ready for your boss/supervisor to not want you to leave.  This is when they ask what they can do to keep you.  I have seen this create much consternation and confusion for the person who had decided to leave.  It may seem counter intuitive, but a “counter-offer” as this is referred to, is never in the best interest of the person who is receiving it.  Yes, you may feel like you are being heard and you are getting additional financial benefit.  Or you may be offered whatever it was that forced you to look for a role in the first place, but keep in mind, it is now too late.  Are there exceptions?  There could be…and this is really only on a case by case basis…but a significant majority of the time, this is bad for the person resigning.  You should ask yourself why it took you wanting to leave to get the additional compensation or opportunity.  For whatever reason, you were not valued enough for this to be provided in the first place.  Also, now that you have resigned, the company knows you are willing to leave and you will have a target on your back.  If you stay, words like loyalty, commitment, and dedication will not be associated with you when it comes time for performance reviews, bonuses, or other opportunities.  You may get a short term benefit, but the company will not be thinking of you for the long term.  This counteroffer puts the company in control of your transition instead of you.    Most likely it will take time for the company to find your replacement, and anything they can do to reduce the amount of time for a gap in your position will help them.  The end result is that no matter how you respond, you will not have the favor of the company.

So, rather than consider, be ready for it, just smile, express your appreciation, and let them know that you have committed to your decision and want to help however you can in the transition.  Remember, you are in control.  If you future employer has flexibility on your start date, then if asked to be longer than 2 weeks before your last day occurs, be open to that.  This is part of building good will.  You know you are needed, and you will be looked upon very highly because you went above and beyond when you were wanting to exit.  If something like this occurs, make sure to get it in writing, even if it is just a confirmation email to your boss.  This will prevent any misunderstandings from occurring and will make sure you and your supervisor are in synch.  A respectful refusal of a counter offer and any flexibility you have on assisting in your exit will leave that door open for a future return as well as positive references as you move through your career.

To summarize…document, communicate, and be gracious in your resignation and exit and your long term career will be served well.

The job offer…don’t just say yes

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

You have interviewed, and possibly had one or several meetings with your prospective employer.  In some cases you have been waiting for a response or for the job offer.  In other cases you may have more questions that need answers and you are not expecting a job offer.  But despite the circumstance, at some point in the process, you will receive the job offer.

 

Most often, we see a company make a verbal offer to their prospective employee.  Many times this is phrased as “ if we were to offer you XXXX, would you be interested.”  In this case, this is a “soft” offer by the company and not a formal offer of employment.  They are opening the door to make sure you would be interested.  This is the appropriate time for you to ask any and all employment questions.  Benefit information, vacation, work environment, hours, title, start date and any other pertinent information you would want in order to either finalize your decision, or to allow you to plan should be asked.  If this has all been covered, you can simply state that yes, you would be interested.  But if that is the case, follow up with a question of” what are the next steps so that a formal offer of employment can be made?”  This confirms that it is not the formal offer, and allows the company to tell you what may be remaining in their process.

 

On the other hand, we have seen organizations make a verbal offer.  “We’d like to extend you an offer of XXXX with a target start date of  XXXX pending our background and on boarding process”.  In this case, what do you do?  The key is that you nor the company want any surprises.  We will discuss how to handle resigning and closing out your previous position and employment in a subsequent post.  It is appropriate for you to express your excitement, and even if you’re not excited, it is appropriate for you to be professional.  This may seem strange, but I would encourage you to respond with “ that is great.  I am very intrigued, but if at all possible, could I have some time so I can discuss this with my (fill in the blank…”significant other”, spouse, ) or if single, …”could I have some time to review this so that when I give you my acceptance I have made sure I have left no stone unturned for any questions I may have.”     Again, make sure you are professional.

 

This is now the time to negotiate.  You never know unless you ask, so ask.  Ask for whatever might be lacking.  Don’t automatically ask for a higher compensation.  If it has never been discussed, then this is appropriate, but if already discussed, don’t keep revisiting questions.  Now is the time to negotiate for vacation, benefits, compensation, or whatever else you would like.   Again, the worst case is they can say no.  But be reasonable.  If you are unreasonable, the company could politely “pull” the offer.   Parking allowances, cell phone reimbursement, or other possible company policy questions are also appropriate.  If you don’t ask, then assume it is not part of the offer.

 

If all questions have been answered and you don’t need any extra time, then don’t just say “Yes”.  This is a formal process.  Respond with “ that is fantastic and I am very excited.  I would love to accept.  In order to finalize all the details, when can you provide me with a written offer so I can make sure I have everything written down in front of me and there are not any other questions I may have, or that you may have for me?”

 

The point here, is you need a written offer.  Before you resign your current position, have a written offer.  This is not a formal contract in the state of Texas, but rather it ensures that any and all internal approvals have been completed for the company’s process and that everything is in order.  Oftentimes in a written offer, the company will designate a start date, and possibly could even designate a timeframe that you must sign the offer and return to them or the offer will no longer be valid.

 

I have seen company’s extend a verbal offer, and then have to put the position on hold.  I have seen company’s extend an offer, or discuss a “possible” offer, and decide for some reason or another to “go in a different direction”.  Is that ethical?  Should that happen?  Of course not, but as the future employee, you need to make sure all is in order to protect yourself.

 

But, when you say Yes, you should mean it.  Just as the company should provide a formal offer, when you give the company a verbal acceptance, your response should matter.  I have many times seen a candidate say yes, but continue to interview.  Why interview when you have said yes.  You can very quickly burn bridges and soil your reputation if you do this.  If you have already scheduled other interviews, then cancel them.  If you still want to attend those interviews, then do not say “Yes”.  Rather tell the company what is going on.  If you can’t be truthful in the interview process, how will you be able to work for the company.    When you say yes, confirm starting day procedures, timing, and who to ask for when you arrive.  And let them know you are excited and look forward to seeing them on that first day.

 

Bottom line, expect the offer from a company to be solid, but wait to take any action on your end until you have a formal written offer (or this could be via email).  And from your side of this discussion…let your “Yes” be a solid yes, don’t say yes while you look for something else.

 

Now what if you are not interested?  You have asked for a higher salary, maybe more vacation…whatever it was, the company has responded and you are not interested.  When the company responds, politely ask for time to think about it.  Don’t say no immediately.  Again, be professional.  Trust your gut on how to respond.  Either make a phone call, or you can send an email.  Simply respond to the company with a polite “thank you very much.  I have thought about this offer and while I am enthusiastic about the direction of your organization and this opportunity, after further reflection and personal review, I am going to decline this offer.”  If you are comfortable with doing so, personalize this with the reason.  You need more compensation, you are seeking more responsibility than what this position is offering based upon your understanding from the interviews, etc…   But if not comfortable with more details, just simply say thank you and you are declining the offer and removing yourself from their consideration.  Be polite, be professional.  The company would rather know at the offer that you are not interested, then bring you on and find out in a few months.  And for your sake, you should want this as well.  But, don’t say “No”, and then have second thoughts.  Just as you should let your Yes be a solid Yes, let your No be a solid No.

 

If handled appropriately, you have expanded your professional network and have learned much about another organization.  Just remember, a phone call with an offer is the first step in finalizing the offer, get a formal written offer, and respond with a formal written response.

pond with a formal written response.

Job Search… The Salary question

AUTHOR: David M. Young

 

What salary are you seeking?  What was your salary at your last employer?    Or if worded how it can sometimes feel “Tell me your deepest and darkest secret.”   No, that is not what is being asked, but people are so private with their income and salary, it can feel like a deep dark secret being shared.

 

So why share your salary…or really when is the right time to provide this for a future employer.

 

First off, never be the one who brings up salary.  This also goes for benefits, vacation, time off, bonus, work hours, or overtime.  If you are in an interview and it is not brought up, then don’t bring it up.  This is something that will come up prior to an offer, our possibly during an offer discussion.  At large companies, the interviewer may not be able to discuss it and woudl refer you to Human Resources.  Discussing time off, work hours, overtime, or vacation can also be perceived as someone who is not a hard worker.  Yes, these are critical details that would help you decide if you want to work at that company, but you want them to want you to work there before you are giving them reasons to think you are more concerned about your time away from the office.

 

But, when it comes up, be intentional in HOW you answer the question.  I encourage people to not just give a specific number.  What salary are you seeking?  Answer with a range, with the higher number first.  For example…if mowing yards (a good generic example) and someone asked what do you charge for my yard.  I would answer (for purpose of this example…in real life I’d probably just give a specific number) “My fee ranges from $35 down to $20 for each time it is mowed depending on the size of your yard and any extras you would like included such as edging and bagging.”   Now in real life you may not answer a mowing question like that, but it gives you perspective on the salary question.  You might answer “$100,000 down to $85,000 depending on the other benefits and career opportunity.”  If you say “$85,000 up to $100,000”…most likely the other person only heard or will remember the $85,000.  You very likely might get an offer right at the lower number.  Instead, you want the other person to know you have some flexibility, but that is based on the total compensation which can include bonus, benefits, or other non base pay items. Additionally, companies will often have a target range.  If you give your dream number, you may price yourself out of the job.

 

On job applications, they will ask for salary at a previous employer as well as sometimes ask for desired salary.  Be honest, but again, it is not inappropriate to provide a base number plus a total take home that could include your annual or Christmas bonus.  If you have been making $50,000, but believe the market is paying $70,000, don’t just ask for $70,000.  Be transparent with the future employer that you have been at $50,000 but that is why you are looking for a new opportunity and you believe the market is paying $X up to $X.  You could also answer with a range and comment “depending on benefits and bonus”.

Before you make a hiring decision, you will want to know benefits, bonus, leave, vacation, etc….When asked for salary, just give your number as discussed above.  Once given, you can ask for benefit details and if an offer is made, that will assist you in understanding the total opportunity.
If handled poorly, the salary question can be tricky.  But if handled correctly, it will assist the future employer in understanding your desire and make sure you are rewarded financially accordingly.