Question from Job Seeker: Hi, it is very normal for people to assess a job offer before they accept it, but how necessary is it to evaluate one’s job once in and how can I tell whether my job is a keeper or not?
Answer from Bayt HR Guru: Great question. Whether you’ve just joined a company or have been there for years, it is very important to assess your job just like you regularly assess your personal performance. There are several factors you can look at to evaluate your job and those include:
Work-life balance: It is well known that employees give work-life balance top priority. In fact, 26.9% of MENA professionals believe that their poor work-life balance has jeopardized both their mental health and happiness, and 64.8% would accept a pay cut for more free time on their job. Take a minute to reflect on whether your current job offers you the amount of balance you need in your life or not, and think of what can be done to improve it.
Motivation and interest: Some may call it “passion” but since a minority manages to turn their passion into their job, we will refer to it as motivation – something we can be more in control of. Try to determine how motivated you are in your current job, and whether you feel interested or not. Motivation is key for you to be productive, creative and successful.
Training and development: Getting the appropriate training is essential for your personal and professional growth. Learning new things makes you feel more engaged; you get to develop your skills and acquire new ones that can help you in your current job and future ones. 28.6% of MENA professionals believe that not improving and updating existing skills is the biggest mistake they can make when climbing the career ladder.
Career path: What helps you evaluate your job is knowing the career path you can have within the company. What are your promotion prospects? How can you evolve? Once you have a clear career path you’ll give your all to achieve your full potential.
Work environment: Your work environment can greatly affect your motivation and performance at work. How do you feel about your colleagues, team and manager? Do you fit in naturally or do you feel like an outcast? It might help you to know that 95% of MENA professionals have no problem getting along with their co-workers, while 13% consider them unprofessional.
Pay: It is true that salary is not the most important element of a job; but continuous surveys have shown that it is still one of the top things affecting employee loyalty in the MENA; 32% of MENA professionals claim that the thing they would most like to change about their job is their salary. How satisfied are you with your salary? Do you feel underpaid or is your salary fair compared to the market and industry standards? You might want to use a leading salary search engine to help you know where you stand. Good luck!
