5 Questions to Ask Before You Take the Job

Congratulations, you got the job offer! You answered all the questions they threw at you and you impressed the heck out of them. But did you ask all the right questions, as well?

Sure, it’s important to know the salary and how many PTO days you’ll get, but what about things like company culture and room for growth?

We rounded up five important questions to ask and consider before you say yes to the job offer.

1. When does the fiscal year begins and how do salary reviews work?

"It’s an often-overlooked question, but a really important one to ask. Here’s why: Let’s say the new fiscal year begins in July and you’re offered a job in April. The salary review cut off for the company is probably sometime in May or even June. You will likely be excluded from this year’s salary review process because you’ll be too new to have your work properly evaluated. Your next salary increase will probably be the following July, so essentially the salary in your current job offer will be in effect for 15 months, not 12.

Leverage this as a negotiating tactic to increase your base compensation even by a small percentage now. They may say you’ll be evaluated this May/June and it may be pro-rated based on the short amount of your employment thus far, but there are too many “ifs” and “mays” in that equation." -Vicki Salemi, career expert, speaker and former corporate recruiter

2. Who will you will report to and what is the structure of the department?

"This helps an applicant understand the layout of their new role. If there is confusion on who this person reports to, that is a bad sign and an applicant should ask for clarification before signing an offer letter." -Sara Hetyonk, Talent Acquisition Manager for ONTRAPORT, a business automation software company

3. How is performance evaluated and how are raises determined?

"This is important especially for companies who no longer have formal review processes. What does it take to be deemed an excellent performer in the eyes of the organization and how is that stellar performance compensated? They probably won’t be able to tell you the specific percentage increase you can expect. When I was a corporate recruiter, I never revealed that much detail when candidates asked because it’s always subject to change (the hiring manager could say anywhere from two to ten percent).

Assume you won’t have specific numbers to go by, but instead focus on their thought process as to how they’re going to properly compensate you and evaluate your work. If answers are too vague and it’s clear they haven’t thought about it, you have to seriously question whether or not you should be accepting their offer." -Vicki Salemi

 4. What is their company culture like?

"Corporate beliefs and values will drive the behaviors of staff, and it's important for someone considering working with a new organization that they understand those expectations.  If your values don't align with a company's, you'll just end up being miserable there.

Also ask about work/life balance; hours of work, how much overtime staff put in, and the ability to work flexible hours or work from home." -Jana Tulloch, Human Resources Professional at DevelopIntelligence 

5. How do you offer growth and development within the company?

"If the position is specific to one technology (e.g. network engineer), will the company allow you to get hands-on with other tech they use? If they insist that you stay in your corner and stick to your specialty, that can be a deal breaker. It could be a sign the company doesn’t want you to learn too much and outgrow your role." -Ben Piper,  IT consultant