Priorities and Compromise
When I was last looking for work I made a scoring matrix of what gets me out of bed in the morning and would make me want to join a company.
- Location
- Progression
- Salary and benefits
- Employee feedback
- Investment in employees (training and conferences)
- Social
Then by applying
MoSCoW method to your priorities you can generate a mission statement (or acceptance criteria) for what you wish to achieve.
Last year I was buying my first house, I went and spoke to an estate agent who asked me to list the priorities and what I was willing to compromise on. With the house purchase I found if I was willing to move location out of Reading, then I would more likely to have more space and a garage. By viewing my career priorities in a similar manner and downgrading location from a Must to a Could, I was able to upgrade some of the other areas. I've written this blog post with the aim of passing on some valuable advice which helped me to take the next step in my career.
Comparing Companies
In this day and age you can compare any item, and get reviews on hair removal cream from Amazon. The same also applies for companies with sites like
glassdoor and awards such as
Sunday Times Top 100. Use this information to see what the employees have to say about the companies you are reviewing, and add this information to your scoring matrix.
Review the company's blog, see what topics its employees are screaming and shouting about, you may even be able to find private blogs showing they keep their ear to the ground.
I found myself with numerous job offers and still with interviews coming up. By using the priority scoring matrix I was able to see how each company stacked up against my requirements.
Feedback
Never be afraid of asking questions and entering negotiations. If a company is truly interested in making you a valued member of their team then they will be able to discuss options with you.
The 'hidden package' Package
All companies will offer you a basic package (salary and benefits), this should be quite easy to compare. What is more difficult to compare is what I have coined as the ''hidden package' package' which are the unofficial benefits a company has to offer.
'hidden package' package mainly focuses on the people:
- Do they share knowledge frequently?
- Does badge size matter?
- Do they invest at all levels?
- Do the team support each other?
- Do they see each other outside of work?
- Does the company care about your wellbeing?
The 'hidden package' package wont really come to light until you work in a company, unless they are active bloggers or available to chat at conferences.
All these points should become apparent early on joining a company. Some tell-tale signs:
- If within the first month you are not hearing of a internal webinar, or someone doing a lunchtime session talking about something cool and new, then it is not frequent.
- Is the working environment one where a graduate could suggest an improvement, an architect would then sponsor the work and empower the team to implement the graduates idea? This shows everyone in the company has a voice and badge size does not matter.
- Is it a company where only those in the higher echelons get to go to conferences?
- Do the team look out for each other? If they see a colleague is struggling with a new area, will another help out and educate without being prompted and regardless of level?
- Are the team a team in and out of the office? This can have a huge impact on how comfortable people are in the office. If banter levels are high then work changes from being a chore to an enjoyable task.
Any company can send out emails and put up posters about well-being and give you a number to call. What you really want is someone you can talk to on a regular basis about your aspirations and any issues you may be facing. If there is a problem at home and you need a last minute flight/train, can they sort it? If you need some working from home days due to appointments or builders do they trust you enough to allow it? Burning out can happen to all, but is the company equipped to support your well-being to avoid this?
Worse off being best off
Packages can evolve over time. As I mentioned, it's most likely the 'hidden package' wont be obvious at first so that one will evolve at a faster rate and in most cases be the one that keeps you getting out of bed each morning.
For me I experienced Worse Off being Best Off when my location changed. I joined the Kainos Reading office which was on my door step (10 minute walk from home). I was always told travel would happen (3 4 days a week) but it hit me sooner than I expected. As I mentioned location was incredibly important to me when reviewing my career priorities at the start of this process. What I found out is from the evolution of the packages I was worse off for location, but best off for career growth. I was surrounded by some of the most talented people I have ever worked with and felt more like part of a family than a number on a payslip.
TL;DR;
When planning the next step in your career, work out what your real priorities are and what you can compromise on for bigger benefits in other areas. Money and location are great, but without career growth and enjoying your working environment what is the point?
Kainos really does care about its people, if you are looking for the next steps
give them a call.
Alan's post originally appeared on Medium. View it here.
