Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Help...they made me a job offer!

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

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