Receiving a job offer is always exciting news and naturally you may have a few more questions in mind before signing on the dotted line.
Employers are generally happy to answer any questions that you may have and are keen to seal the deal and have you join their team. However, candidates can sometimes undo their hard work throughout the recruitment process at this crucial stage by asking certain questions that employers find off-putting.
These are all questions that we’ve heard before and trust us, they do not show candidates in a good light.
1. When is payday?
Naturally this is something that you may want to know, but asking it straight after receiving a job offer isn’t the best idea. This suggests to an employer that your pay is your top priority and that you may currently be struggling financially.
This detail should be in your contract anyway so hold fire until you receive that. If not, you could wait until you get started with the role and ask another employee this question. Most companies pay salaries on the last day of the month.
2. Will I get paid if I’m off sick?
While your intentions may be completely innocent, this question may set off some alarm bells in your new employer’s mind. Are you often sick? Or are you prone to pulling “sickies”?
Details like this are also likely to be clarified in your contract, so you’re best waiting until you receive that.
3. What are the conditions of using a company car?
This is a question to definitely avoid if a company car is not part of your initial package, but instead a potential future perk. You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself and when the time does come this question will be answered anyway.
4. Is it ok if I go away for a month in a few months’ time?
As a new hire, an employer does not want you to be disappearing in the first few months of your employment. Those early months are usually crucial in terms of your training and development. Your new employer is likely to be investing a lot of time and money in you and they will want to see a return on their investment, not you jet-setting off for a month.
If travelling is something that you have in mind for the future, then you are better off bringing it up once you are fully settled in with your new company. Once you’ve proved yourself to be a valuable employee a year or so down the line, your employer is likely to be much more open to negotiating longer periods of time off.
5. Can I get paid earlier because I’m going away?
When you haven’t even begun working for a company yet and are already requesting to be paid earlier it does not look good. If you haven’t started contributing, then an employer is unlikely to agree to pay you ahead of time.
Always think before you ask questions after receiving a job offer. It’s an exciting time for both you and your prospective new employer, so ask the questions that continue to show you in a good light and reflect your interest in the role, the company and your career.
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