Making the Right Choice for a Better Job Carries a lot of Pressure
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with making the right choice when you’re on the job hunt. The last thing you want to do is move onto a new job and discover it’s not the better job. The good news is that if you’re in a position of having to make a choice that means there are options out there to fulfill your needs.
Still stressed? Take some pressure off: instead of making the right choice think of it as making the better choice. You probably already know what you don’t want. But are you clear on what you do want? The things that matter most – your values – act as really great filters to helping you narrow down the better job choice. Did you know that employers use these filters when they evaluate your fit for the job?
Employers Have to Make the Right Choice for the Better Hire
I read about a manager who tests job candidates before they sit down for the interview. He takes them to the office kitchen for a drink. They leave with a cup in hand filled with whatever beverage they chose and proceed to his office to begin the interview.
The test comes at the end of the interview. If, before exiting the office, the candidate wants to take the cup back to the kitchen, they’ve passed the test. To the manager, they value office cleanliness, an attribute that the company prioritizes, and therefore seeks as a shared value among employees.
It reminded me of a test that I used to apply many years ago when I worked for an organization that was part office and part production warehouse.
When interviewing candidates for professional roles, I needed to see – not just hear – that they would embrace the blended environment between office workers and production workers. So, in the last few minutes of an interview, I would take the candidate for a ‘walk and talk’ through the warehouse. It was just enough of a walk for me to share some proud highlights of the operation and noteworthy history as well as take a moment to stop and observe the operation. They showed promise if they were engaged during the walk and leaned into their curiosity to ask some questions or share something relevant. They were a flat-out no for me if they were a deer in headlights or got shifty and impatient with eyes darting to the path that tracked back to the office space.
Some people will balk at these scenarios, but this approach to values screening is very useful for both employer and candidate. An organization will always operate by a set of values, whether or not they are posted on the website or written on the wall. Getting a sense of what they are gives you a lens into what it’s like to work there.
When Making the Right Choice, Choose Your Values First
Now keep in mind: while the employer is making a decision about you, you are making a decision about them.
Consider values screening. When you are selecting a place to work, one objective is to test the probability of a values match. Is there a healthy blend between your values blend those of the prospective employer? Sure, you primarily want the short commute or the better job title and salary. However, if you’re looking for a place to land for more than a year or two, a solid values match or blend proves very beneficial in the long run.
4 Advantages to Values Screening Your Next Employer
- Increased Job Satisfaction: When your personal values align with organizational values, there is a greater chance you will feel a mutual connection and a sense of fulfillment, which lends to higher levels of job satisfaction.
- Stronger Sense of Belonging: When you feel understood and valued for who you are, you experience acceptance. Your principles are not only respected; they are also shared.
- More Confidence on The Job: Similarly, when principles are aligned, the more likely you’ll receive support and even praise when you voice your opinions or make decisions.
- Better Motivation: Working among others who share your values can be refreshingly motivating and possibly inspiring for you to do your best work.
When working with clients, I often guide them through a values inventory. Here’s how you can start:
- List as many qualities you hold in high regard, are personally meaningful to you, and contribute to your sense of fulfillment and joy.
- Next to each of them, describe how that might look/sound/feel if it were in front of you at work. That becomes the starting point for your own set of values screening tests when meeting a potential employer.
For example, I believe that giving and receiving kindness + respect are basic fundamentals that should exist among humans. I also believe that feeling energized about your work and your workplace adds to fulfillment. Before I started working for myself, whenever I took an in-person interview, I conducted my first test in the reception area. Invariably, the time it took to get checked in, seated, and wait for someone to come out and greet me would be sufficient to run my test. All I did was observe: Was there a receptionist to greet me? Were they welcoming? Or did they just toss me over to the empty seats as fast as they could? What about the people walking through reception? Did they acknowledge the receptionist? Chat them up? Or bark at them? Did they look like they were happy or exasperated to be there? How were those collective behaviors reflective of how I want to experience being at work?
Try this the next time you have to make a choice about where to work.
It may not be a bulletproof approach, but it certainly helps to alleviate some of the pressure by helping you make the best choice for where you want to be.
What do you care about in the workplace? How are those things showing up for you there?
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