The average tenure of a Middle Eastern professional at a job is 5.2 years, and you should know that signing a job offer letter without scrutinizing each and every detail entailed is not a wise move. A few pointers from the Bayt.com career experts on how to evaluate your job offer:
1. Assess the basics: Not only does the salary classify as an “essential” component of the job offer but other areas are also very important to look at such as the type of contract (open, 2 year, temporary, etc..), the probation period (and what it entails), the working hours, the working days, the reporting hierarchy, the job responsibilities etc. All of these variables in addition to your salary and benefits should be clearly specified in your contract.
2. Assess the salary offered: How does the salary offered weigh compared to salaries of other professionals with your same qualifications and experience in your country of residence? Ask around, get information from professionals in your same position in other companies, network in relevant circles and resort to online Salary calculators (Bayt.com has introduced the first Salary Search platform in the region)
3. Assess the travel quota: Does your job require constant or occasional traveling? How occasional? Are you the type of person who doesn’t mind packing and unpacking 2 to 3 times a month? Do your personal responsibilities allow you such flexibility? It is very important for you to inquire about the traveling quota associated with your potential job in order for you to manage your own expectations (and perhaps your family’s expectations) and make a wise decision.
4. Assess the career trajectory: Have you had a talk with your potential direct manager/ recruiter about the future prospects of the position offered to you? Do they and do you foresee future growth in this position within the company? If you are looking for stability and continuous development, ensure early on that should you take the role and prove yourself, you would have room for career growth.
5. Assess the working conditions: Bayt.com recently ran an online poll about Good working Conditions in the Middle East, to shed light on the importance of a healthy working environment at the workplace and its impact on the productivity and loyalty of employees. An overwhelming 64.3% of professionals surveyed stated that improved working conditions would result in more organizational loyalty, more productivity and more job involvement, but they are yet to be provided by employers as per 45% of poll respondents. The top constituents of good working conditions as per the Bayt.com poll respondents are: proper training and professional development schemes, generous incentives (such as vacation days, parking and education allowance), room for personal job authority and decision making and good office setting (such as lighting, seating, lunch rooms and gyms. Look closely at these factors and assess where your potential employer stands in their regard before committing to the job offered to you.
