How Do People Decide Between Job Offers?

We’re not going to discuss money in this article because it goes without saying that remuneration is a very important element that helps people choose a job. But besides pay, what are the other factors that come into play? We recently published a poll on LinkedIn giving participants four options to choose from; viz. travel time, fringe benefits, growth within the company, or others (with details to be mentioned in the comments).

More than 50% of the voters chose growth opportunities over other factors. A good benefits package was the second-most popular choice, but it wasn’t even close to the most popular factor.

We’ve definitely come to understand that it’s no easy task to know what makes people tick. Having met thousands of potential candidates while recruiting in the healthcare sector, we can’t help getting an idea about what makes people choose an offer.

While people in the past spent their entire career working for one company, today, employees stay for an average 4.1 years at a job. Considering that growth opportunities are an essential element that helps employees decide on a job offer, healthcare organizations need to manage successional planning and pipeline management. Retention and post-hire strategies are more critical now than they were a decade ago.

Institutions that do not have a successional planning strategy are more prone to a crisis should a staff member resign unexpectedly. The pandemic was a shining example of how the ability to pivot quickly and efficiently can be a game-changer.

Some of the possible career advancement opportunities include:

• Regular professional development courses
• Participation in a professional organization
• Training program opportunities
• Research opportunities to improve job performance and help with knowledge dissemination
• Opportunities to improve job performance
• Increased duties and responsibilities
• Opportunities to attend conferences, events, and meeting at a local, national and international level
• Conference presentations
• Attending or chairing workshops and training events
• Opportunities to serve as an officer or board member
• Coordinating organizational events
• Keeping up to date with systems, technology, and agile processes
• Opportunities to enhance existing skills
• Allowing time and opportunities to stay updated with the latest developments
• Sabbaticals

The last is very important because often, people use sabbaticals as a perfect opportunity to advance their career. Sometimes a sabbatical to recuperate from a surgery or illness could force people to move to a deskbound job. The point is, not all career advancements are related to promotion, but they’re certainly deciding factors in a job offer.

Sometimes, just because people continue to work in the company does not mean everything is fine. It would help if you involved people in decision-making processes. Or at least demonstrate that you value their work and sincerity. Rather than focusing on current values, consider offering skill-based training or even formal means of training. This is especially important for employees who work in areas that might need improvement to develop their careers while learning and working.

Have you considered career advancement as a deciding factor when looking for a new role?