4 Warning Signs To Consider Before Taking a Job

So you got a job offer—congratulations! Now, the decision is yours: Are you going to take the offer or not? 

Committing to a new job is a big decision.

While you might feel inclined to take it since, well, you applied for it, and it was offered to you (that was the goal, right?), you shouldn’t necessarily jump.

Remember that job offers are just that: offers. You don’t need to say yes. And you are entitled to (and should) think it over before agreeing to work for a company. You should make sure that the job is right for you before you take it.

While there are tons of obvious reasons you should take a job (read: good pay), here are some less-obvious reasons you shouldn’t take it.

If these four flags pop up at any point in the interviewing process, it’s worth considering whether or not this is the right job for you.

You don’t align with the company’s values.

Maybe you think the product is innovative or the service is helpful. You believe in the business, but you don’t necessarily align with how the company is doing business. You love the concept of the company, but you don’t love how the leadership has run it thus far. Don’t underestimate the criticality of a cultural fit.

Employees who feel like “cultural outsiders” are likely to leave their companies, according to Harvard research. While cultural diversity is key, Harvard researchers suggest that “leaders should foster a culture that is diverse yet consensual in order to promote both innovation and efficiency.” If you don’t feel like that would be the case with this job, you may want to sit on that offer while you mull it over.

The “competitive benefits package” isn’t so competitive.

Sure, an at or above-market salary is nice. But benefits are just as important when it comes to your financial wellness. In fact, wages and salaries account for just 68.8 percent of your total compensation, while benefits account for the remaining 31.2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employer Costs for Employee Compensation report.

But don’t just settle for just any benefits. Know that you can and should negotiate for the benefits you want in your next executive role. For example, 87 percent of people would take the chance to work remotely, according to McKinsey research. Meanwhile, 62 percent of employees see their employers’ 401(k) match as necessary in reaching their retirement goals, according to Principal’s Retirement Security Survey.

You don’t see a future with the company.

While it’s certainly okay to take a job because you need one at the moment, it’s also important to think about your future with the company. Sure, you might not want to stick around for a lifetime, but it’s worth thinking about. While the job may do you well now, ask yourself where it could potentially take you in the next two, five, or ten years.

If you don’t envision it taking you very far or in the direction of your career goals, it may not be the job for you. And it’s okay to say no because of it. Most workers find that career development and planning are incredibly important to them, according to Harvard research.

You can’t find meaning in the job.

Sure, you can do the job. You’re qualified enough that you were given an offer, after all. But do you want to do the job? That’s the question.

Ever more employees report that purpose is important to them in the workplace. If they don’t find their job meaningful, or they can’t find some semblance of meaning in their day-to-day work, it takes a toll on morale and, ultimately, productivity and performance. Nine out of 10 workers would even trade money for meaning in the workplace, according to a recent BetterUp survey. 

If you don’t foresee yourself wanting to do your job because it fulfills you in some way that’s deeper than the satisfaction of ticking boxes or checking off a to-do list, it could be a sign that you shouldn’t take the job.

Ultimately, it’s totally okay to decline a job offer. After all, the interview process is a two-way street. You need to make a decision on the company just as much as the hiring manager needs to make a decision about you.

That all said, if you later feel like you made the wrong decision by declining the offer, you can always re-apply. Check out our advice on applying for a position with a company you’ve turned down before.