“Your expectations from us?” is a question employers commonly ask candidates by. It is crucial for candidates to be clear on what to expect from the company, to have a clear understanding of their role and also understand how the company can contribute to their growth.

Every company wants to attract the right talent for the right job. Candidates are assessed to see if there is a cultural fit with the company, if their knowledge and intelligence can be useful to the company and community, if they can handle stress and make good decisions, and which role they can hold to perform well.

Eager to enter the corporate world, you bring enthusiasm, energy and fresh ideas. However, when you start the discussion with your potential target company, you need to channel them with right questions to the interviewers. So, apart from knowing what employers expect, it is also important for you to understand what your peers expect from companies. To help you with the same, we surveyed 7,000 people in 2013 for the Randstad Award. I want to share the relevant highlights.

The top most important factors employees seek are competitive salary and job security. I can hear you saying, yes, I know that. But last year, employees’ preference was towards financially healthy companies and each year, depending on the market environment, their sentiments and preferences change. So, this survey is relevant to you year-on-year. To help you with the specifics, we also asked many questions to people who are about to enter the workforce to understand their sentiments.

The younger workforce showed a clear inclination towards companies which are innovative and use latest technology, which offer global career opportunities, good training and career paths.

Innovation and latest technology happens across many companies, not just in information technology companies. So, read about products and services from your potential target company and understand how they are made and improved every year. Go through their annual reports and other articles to understand the priority given to research and development, commonly called R&D. This will give you an indication of how well your energy will be utilised.

Global career opportunities and career path: “Will I get an ‘onsite’ opportunity?” is a common question from many freshers and experienced professionals. If you are given an opportunity, without saying ‘yes’ hastily, ask if the role in another country will help you in your career growth. Going after good roles in the early part of your career will set the tone for your growth in the future.

Good training: As you enter the corporate world, you will be exposed to many areas to which you may not have familiarity. Your success rides on how well the company organises training for you and how well you utilise it.

Instead of treating training programmes like a boring classroom lecture, take it up as a stepping stone for faster growth. Your trainers have a keen eye for good performers and can channel you to high growth teams and projects which could give you the necessary momentum to grow.

To summarise, try to understand what the company expects of you and what your expectations are. Map them to identify the potential synergy. Ask the interviewers questions and take copious notes. Be clear on the kind of exposure you would get whilst working in the company.

Have an open mind and learn things with a fire in the belly. Success – as you define it – will come your way. Good luck!

(The author is CEO and MD of Randstad India, a leading HR services company.)

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