Blog | Systems & Processes Consulting Limited

23Mar

What Do Employers Expect From You?

Amarachi Okpala March 23, 2023

As a new or potential employee, it is crucial to understand employers’ expectations. It can be quite frustrating as a job seeker to put great effort into your job search and still be rejected. But this could result from a lack of understanding of what employers expect.

So, what do employers generally expect their employees to know or do?

1. Are You Competent Enough?

This is the first criterion that is typically reviewed before an interview invite is sent. Competency is determined based on the skills acquired during childhood and adulthood.

Strive to understand job descriptions before applying. This will help you to determine your competence and, if you are, to craft your resume and application letter such that your competence is visible

2. Are You Intelligent Enough?

Intelligence is not about scores in your academics. It’s about how you would be able to handle a day-to-day challenge using common sense. This becomes evident when you ask questions out of curiosity and listen to the answers. Employers want to know that you can intelligently tackle situations.

3. Do You Have Good Communication Skills?

This is also one of the key criteria employers look out for. Regardless of your sector or industry, communication is a must, whether written or spoken. Every employer wants employees that can express themselves properly and clearly. You would also need to provide feedback, ask questions, file complaints, and so on.

As a result, you have to improve your communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). You can take online courses, listen to language podcasts, or practice communicating with your friends, family, or mirror.

4. Do You Love Learning?

Most employers want employees who are open to new ideas. Several jobs require you to adjust your current knowledge by unlearning what you know, learning new things, or relearning things you have forgotten or learned poorly. Hence, you have to be ready to learn.

5. Are You Loyal?

During interviews, you may be asked about your previous employer. This could be a test of your loyalty towards the company. Ensure you do not give negative or degrading remarks about the employer or person you worked with at your last job. Always remember that every experience offers you lessons. Loyalty means highlighting those lessons, despite the situation.

6. Are You a Team Player?

Another attribute employers expect is the ability to work in a team or with others. During interviews, you can highlight the various assignments, projects, workshops, and symposiums you participated in during your college studies or previous work assignments and how you participated.

7. Do You Always Maintain Your Composure?

From how you answer and the method of a handshake or how you sit, the interviewer will assess your personality and self-confidence. During interviews, try to maintain cool composure. Employers typically assess your stance or posture to determine if you are calm and composed. And this will inform them of whether you can cope under pressure.

8. Do You Manage Your Time Well?

A great way to show your motivation and professionalism is to be time conscious. Being punctual can show your commitment to planning and time management. Effective time management will help you stay organized and reliable.

Moreover, meeting deadlines can help organizations reach their goals, make decisions, maintain processes, and deliver services more efficiently. It’s necessary for employees to meet their deadlines so the company can stay on schedule and keep its clients satisfied. To better meet deadlines, prioritize projects by the due dates, plan enough time to finish each task, and organize your projects in a calendar or planner.

9. Is Continuous Improvement A Big Deal for You?

Employers understand their employees make mistakes from time to time. Instead of being discouraged by your mistakes, they expect you to use them as a learning experience. Strive to remember what caused the mistake to avoid it in the future.

Conclusion

An expectation is a thought or belief that something will occur. Organizations and managers have expectations of their employees. Take note of the expectations we have discussed, and you’ll be on the right path to satisfying your new or potential employers’ expectations.

Four people sitting around a table discussing

23Jan

Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Job Offer

Amarachi Okpala January 23, 2023January 23, 2023

After a lengthy search and multiple interviews, receiving a job offer letter can motivate applicants to accept their first offer. Usually, these applicants are aware of the attached compensation package and oblivious to the company’s existing work schedule, vacation leave policy, and so on.

In addition, most people are so nervous during interviews that they don’t want to rock the boat or say the wrong thing. This prevents them from gaining more information about the role, compensation, team, and company. If you don’t have all the information, how can you tell if it is the right job for you?

Here are seven questions we believe you need to ask prospective employers before accepting a job offer:

1. Does This Job Offer the Change I Seek?

A man in front of a laptop thinking

Before accepting a job offer, review the responsibilities of your ideal position so that you can make an informed decision. Consider the motivation behind your job search. After performing this review and consideration, list the opportunities, responsibilities, and benefits a new job should offer you. Now, ask your prospective employer if these are available.

For instance, if you want a job that pays more or offers career development opportunities, you must ensure that these benefits and opportunities are available. If you do not, you might end up leaving the job with no improvements to your career.

2. When Is the Start Date?

Ensure you know your exact resumption date so that you can discuss your resignation with your current employer. After requesting a resignation, the appropriate notice period is between two weeks and a month, but it generally depends on the terms of your contract. You can only resume immediately if you are not working when the job offer emerges.

3. What Opportunities Does the Company or Job Offer for Professional Development?

Some entry-level positions may only require a bachelor’s degree in any field, but being a supervisor or manager necessitates specialist skills. Applicants should ask questions to determine whether they can learn on the job and whether they would receive the opportunity to develop the skills required to move up the corporate ladder.

4. What Are the Core Hours?

Some essential service jobs, such as those in the medical field, have undefined work schedules. Professionals in this field frequently work late at night, especially in an emergency. While most jobs have a standard work schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., there are some exceptions. Knowing the daily and weekly start and end times will help you decide if the job is right for you. Learning about the break schedule, the leave period, and what overtime entails is also beneficial.

Although it may seem like a taboo subject, you should definitely inquire about vacation and sick leave policies; they vary by country and employer.

5. What Is the Breakdown of the Compensation Package?

Someone holding a lot of money probably as payment for a job

This is an important question because looking for a job that meets your needs is common practice. It is critical to comprehend the breakdown of the offered compensation package. Many companies provide round figures in job advertisements, but these are typically gross salaries. Applicants must inquire about the net salary, especially if no salary negotiation is possible. Some businesses deduct pension and tax expenses. Determine whether your take-home pay after taxes and other deductions is adequate for your requirements.

Another topic worth discussing is bonuses. If the remuneration package is insufficient, asking this question before accepting the job offer allows for negotiation. After accepting the job offer and signing the contract, there will most likely be no room for negotiation.

6. What Is the Job Description?

You can also request a detailed breakdown (or list) of the job description and responsibilities to ensure that everything is documented. It may appear strange to ask this question after an interview. Nonetheless, you should inquire about this to ensure that you accept the same responsibilities advertised and discussed during the interview. This will prevent you from taking on additional responsibilities without compensation. It will also aid you in conducting self-appraisals to determine areas of improvement.

Note that understanding the job description will include understanding the chain of command and the organizational structure. This information allows applicants to determine if the work structure is clearly defined. Organizations with undefined roles and responsibilities usually become toxic workplaces because they can easily lead to confusion, inefficiency, and arguments.

7. What Is the Company’s Onboarding Process Like?

An employer’s onboarding process can range from a week shadowing a colleague to a month-long program combining classroom and on-the-job training. New hires learn about the company’s history and objectives and the skills required to be productive team members during the onboarding process. The length of the orientation determines when your supervisor will expect you to produce results.

You can determine whether the duration of the process is adequate if you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Applicants who require more time to learn can bargain for extended training periods.

Ask the Right Questions

Asking the right questions before accepting a job offer can provide the information you need to determine if a position is a good fit for you. We have offered you seven questions to ask. However, job candidates have the option of asking additional questions.

Want to learn more questions to ask to determine if a job is right for you? Contact us right away to book an appointment.

11Jan

Why Do You Need a Consultant?

Ezenwa Uche January 11, 2023January 11, 2023

It is often assumed that only large organizations require a consultant. However, this is incorrect. Managing a business or organization is risky; many small enterprises fail in their early stages. As a result, it is critical to work with an expert who can guide you through the process.

Who Is a Consultant?

Consultants advise and provide insight and information to assist small and large-scale businesses in achieving specified objectives. They collaborate with owners and managers to enhance organizational performance and efficiency. The following are some of the services offered by consultants:

Identify, manage, and overcome obstacles to goal achievement
Enhance or replace business objectives and goals
Assist with business planning, budgeting, and other activities
As needed, recruit, assess, empower, and terminate employees
Find partners to help you achieve your goals
Provide innovative ideas to revitalize the business
Determine and implement necessary changes

Consultancy is more than just delivering business advice; it is about guiding people in business and assisting them in overcoming hurdles. A consultant advises and guides enterprises and organizations. They apply their business knowledge to provide expert guidance on maximizing strategy, boosting earnings, providing value, and addressing challenges.

What Types of Organizations Need a Consultant?

Two people in a meeting or consultation

Almost every business could use the help of a consultant.

Consultants can help new businesses plan and get off to a good start.
Businesses that have been operating for a long time can benefit from a new way of looking at things.
If an organization isn’t meeting its goals, a consultant can help figure out why.
Businesses that want to grow can use the strategic skills of a business consultant.
Firms launching new campaigns or setting up new departments will benefit from the research and knowledge of a consultant.

Benefits of Using Consultants Even When You Know What to Do

Many benefits accrue to users of consultants in their daily operations and businesses.

1. New Ideas

Good consultants offer new ideas and new ways of doing things. Most often, consultants are conversant with frameworks and methodologies that make the execution of tasks easy and profitable.

2. Prioritization

One way of prioritizing is using consultants to achieve some of your urgent tasks. Tasks are completed on time, productively, and profitably because more hands and brains are brought in, making each person in the chain do what they are best at doing. The overall result will be effectiveness and efficiency.

3. Doing What You Are Best Suited to Do

The consultant could do the dirty or difficult job while the organization focuses on its areas of profound competency.

4. Cost Saving

Girl holding US dollar bills

Prioritization always leads to cost savings. Things are done urgently and simultaneously because consultants offer an extra workforce. The cost is minimized as tasks are executed in large numbers, quickly, and efficiently.

5. Easy Performance Management

Business owners and managers may need help to achieve performance measurement. Every good consultant is well-trained in performance management because every consulting assignment starts from a baseline to the desired destination. Every milestone in the journey is easily measured and documented for fast decision-making.

6. Playing the Boss

Organizations may limit the number of staff needed by hiring a consultant that does all the work, and the organization takes the last decision based on available facts and analytics.

7. Increasing Capacity and Capability

Capacity refers to the number of people in the workforce who can get the job done. In contrast, capability refers to aggregate individual skills and knowledge that can be deployed to achieve the desired results on time. An organization can easily increase both by engaging consultants who will bring in many experienced and qualified team members to boost the organization’s aggregate knowledge and skill set.

This is crucial, especially when the organization needs to bid and win a contract and professionally deliver an assignment on time. This approach is also used if an organization desires to scale up by taking large assignments in terms of price and impact.

8. New Frameworks/Processes

Good consultants will always carry on an assignment based on a framework and well-defined processes. The framework or well-defined processes will remain after the consultant leaves at the end of the assignment, becoming a part of the available usable knowledge/skill of the organization.

Qualities of Good Consultants

Two people with laptops discussing and strategizing

There are some qualities consultants must possess to help their clients.

Consultants must be knowledgeable and well-educated in their subject area of competence. They should also possess practical skills gained from previous assignments.
A consultant should consistently perform well, helping clients achieve their goals.
For consultants to be considered good, they should possess a wide range of experience. This means they should have worked with diverse clients and experienced and overcome diverse challenges.
Every good consultant sincerely states what may and cannot be achieved.
Any consultant who does not belong to a well-known professional body may not easily be trusted because, without the professional body, there is no control, and the consultant may act unprofessionally.

Talk to a Consultant Today

Although you perform numerous functions as a business owner, it’s vital to remember that you can’t do it all alone. A consultant can help you identify areas requiring improvement and offer you solutions for those challenges.