In today’s job market, candidates have much of the power. That power allows you to accept or decline the job offer often based on other competing positions that have also said “Yes” to your candidacy. For these reasons, it’s a great time to be on the job market.
However, now you have a decision to make and that can be hard. It’s also hard to know how to decline or accept an offer so that you come across as professional. You can be enthusiastic in your “Yes!” but you don’t want to cross any lines and come across as too eager. You can also worry that you’ll disappoint the recruiter you worked with (who was so nice) when you turn down their job offer.
This blog, though, will help you approach accepting or declining a job offer in a way that presents you as highly professional and smart. Here are some best practices to consider.
1. Be Prepared to Negotiate
If you’re saying yes or no to a job you should first, know your worth, and second, be prepared to negotiate. You should always go into a job interview process understanding the range of pay they’re willing to cover. If you get an offer and you think the interview went really well but they’re offering you a salary within that range that seems too low, consider a counter. There are all kinds of salary calculators online now and many of them tailor their tools to fit the area of the country you’re in. Have that information in hand so that you can decide if a salary negotiation is a good move.
2. Think About the Intangibles, Too
Sometimes it’s not just about the money you’re making. Say you have two job offers on the table—something that is highly likely in this job market. Place these two job offers side by side and ask yourself:
- Does one job have better health insurance where the company pays more of the premiums?
- Does one job offer more vacation, PTO, or flex time?
- Do you have a sense that the team you’ll be working with at one job will be a better fit for you culturally?
- Which job has the better boss?
- Does one job have better educational benefits and room for advancement?
Think about these jobs from the perspective of the whole package. This will help you decide which job offer is better.
3. How to Accept One Offer Over the Other
Do not accept the job over the phone. You may be super excited about it but make sure you get the offer in writing. Be restrained in your approach and don’t let the employer see how excited you are. You can be pleased and thank them. But you need to see the offer in writing before you accept. This should include details on insurance including what you and the employer will pay as well as the kind of insurance it is. It’s normal now to ask for at least 24-hours to think over the job. If the employer pressures you to accept on the spot, respectfully say that you’re sorry but you’d like to talk with your significant other about the offer and would like to see details in writing.
These are the kinds of details that your People Plus recruiter can help you with. While we help people find jobs, we also provide a lot of free advice to help you make the right moves in your career. Contact us today.
