Imagine…you went through several interviews, you convinced
the company that you would love the opportunity to work for them and that you
are the right man for the job. After a few days, you receive a job offer.
Congratulations are in order…except when you don’t want to accept the job.
During the process, you may have realised that this is not
the right opportunity for you after all.
Interviewing is a two-way process: the hiring manager will
try to discover whether you are the right candidate for the job while you need
to determine whether the position is the right next step in your career.
And that all starts with preparing prior to engaging in the
interviewing process: what type of job would you like to do, what type of
company culture do you thrive in but also what is the salary that you aspire,
how much travel are you willing to do, are you willing to relocate for the
right position…
During the interview you can check whether these criteria
are met. You can also detect possible roadblocks:
would the commute be too long, would you need to relocate your teenagers who
are well integrated in your current community…
When you start having doubts as to whether the opportunity is
the right one for you, it is better to openly address the issue. It allows the hiring manager to clarify, to find a solution or to mutually agree not to proceed.
Another reason for refusing a job offer may be other offers
that are more appealing to you.
Employers know that candidates often work on several
opportunities at the same time. But when during the entire interviewing process
you have never mentioned that you were also looking into other offers, your
refusal will no doubt come as a surprise.
There is nothing wrong with openly addressing the fact that
you are also talking to other companies. It may even show that you are a great
catch on the market J.
When you decide to move forward with another employer, inform the hiring manager as soon as possible and try to explain why the other offer has your preference.
Mind the pitfall though: usually offers don’t come at the
same time. Trying to buy time by negotiating the terms and conditions or ignoring
your e-mails and calls, is never a good approach.
And then there is also a ‘killer’ reason for rejecting a job
offer: you used the offer as leverage to get a promotion or a salary increase
at your current employer.
In this case, there is no right way. Choosing this path will
burn all bridges with the people that you have talked to.
There can be all sorts of reasons why you decide that this
is not the right job for you: money, company culture, the opportunity of a
lifetime. Regardless of the reason, it
is important to turn down the offer in such a way that you don’t burn any
bridges.
Key to turning down a job offer in a positive way, is making
sure that people don’t feel like they have wasted time and money by talking to
you.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Isabel
Through a personalized and
tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in
attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Follow me on Twitter
@IngeniumSearch
