What Matters the Most When Assessing New Job Opportunities

In our My Career Path interviews we always ask leaders how they assess new career opportunities and have heard various perspectives. Regardless of where professionals are in their career journeys, there is so much to consider while assessing job opportunities such as compensation, benefits, company culture, location, commuting time (if onsite), work-life balance, potential for growth and many more factors. It is important to assess these variables and make the right decision that fits one’s career journey and aligns with short-term and long-term goals.

We wanted to know our professional network’s top priorities when assessing job opportunities and polled our community for their insights.

What is your top priority when assessing new job opportunities? (single answer)

  • Healthy work-life balance 43%
  • Compensation 34%
  • Company culture 16%
  • Finding purpose 7%

According to our poll results, a healthy work-life balance is the top priority for professionals. 43% of respondents cited it as their primary consideration when assessing new job opportunities. Work-life balance was followed by compensation, which 34% of people deemed important. These results demonstrate how prioritizing work-life balance is becoming increasingly important for professionals. It is also an indication of the shift in perspective towards job satisfaction and personal values. While compensation is still important, people now place greater weight on a healthy work-life balance. Company culture also proved to be significant for 16%. Finally, only 7% of participants felt that finding purpose was their main focus.

According to a recent survey conducted by Muse and published on Harvard Business Review, 72% of respondents stated that they regretted accepting a role because the role, terms or organization was different from what they were told and 20% said they would quit within a month if a new job was not what they expected it to be. This may indicate that certain aspects of the job were not evaluated carefully while assessing job opportunities.

Although, it may not be possible to obtain inside knowledge on company culture and team environment, it is possible to find a lot of information online via social media or review sites such as Glassdoor. It is also a good idea to leverage personal and professional networks to find mutual connections working at the organization to obtain feedback. During the interview stage, how the organization communicates with candidates reveals a lot about their culture. It is possible to have a good idea about their attitude, whether or not they are transparent, honest, organized, process-oriented, etc. It is difficult to find the “perfect” match, but it is possible to find a job that fits most requirements to provide overall job satisfaction.

What are your thoughts? Please share with us in the comments below!



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