James is looking for another job. He is employed now and hates where he is working. I wrote about him here in this post. He works in a specialized field of technology. It looks like he might get an offer after interviewing with a company in Dayton, OH.

His interview was on Monday. On Thursday, I ask him how it went. He says, “It went very well”. He met the president, Engineering VP, the project leader and the only other person on the project. The recruiter has asked for his references – that is a good sign, things are moving along. I asked him if he is going to take the position, he said “yes”.

“Are you running from something or going to something”, I asked. He looked at me and said, “Going to something of course”. The reason I asked this question is that he wants so desperately to leave his current company, and every company that has been a possibility was “the one.”

He hates his current company’s culture – at least in the department he is now. Why? The people have not built any type of camaraderie. They come to work, leave and go home. No one invites their colleagues over to their house for dinner or to outside activities. I often wonder if it is because his department requires top secret clearance and people do not want to mix personal with business. Do other similar organizations have this same kind of culture?

“How is this new company different?” I ask him. “I know,” he says, “because I talked to them”. He is referring to the people who interviewed him – no one else.

“What did you ask them?” is my follow-up question. James says, “Nothing in particular.” He gives me the look of everything is under control.

My intuition tells me something different.

Going on a job interview puts everyone on his or her best behavior. It is a courting process with everyone impressing each other. If culture was one of the main reasons why James wants to leave his current company then it is an important question to pose to several employees in the prospective company.  A one-day observation visit does not tell you enough, no matter how perceptive you are.

On to the topic of compensation, James thinks he is going to get a $5,000 increase. Is it enough? He seems to think so because the areas are comparable if you look at the cost of living calculators. He will probably have more spending power in Dayton; however, is he being paid fairly?

Doing your homework on salary structure and how to determine if you are getting a good offer in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 can pay off big. Asking the right questions will give you information to negotiate with your new employer. James may be missing an opportunity to get himself back on track to being paid what he is worth vs. how cheap can they get him. The best opportunities to receive bigger salary increases are when you change companies or are promoted.

It is time to see how much James knows about the company he is “going to”. Here is part of our dialogue.

Me: How large is the company?

J: About 80 employees

Me: Single or multiple sites?

J: One

Me: Public or private?

J: I don’t know. It has been around 80 years.

Me: There are private companies that have been around for 80 years.

J: I guess I had better look it up.

Me: What are the sales?

J: About 20M I think.

Me: Is it profitable?

J: I don’t know.

Me: How is the cash flow?

J: I don’t know.

Me: It might be good to figure out if this company you are “going to” will be in business.

If you are “going to” something, you will research the facts. Asking tough questions is essential. Do not be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people in a company – you want to see if their information or perception of the organization is a shared point of view or independent opinion. Recognize the pros and cons of your decision and consciously make a choice.

Do you think James is running or going? In either case, I hope it works out for him.