Now that you have workedso hard to get a job offer, whether you wanted the job or not, what do you do when the offer is made? Your objective is to be able to select from among 3-5 job offers, but rarely will all the companies in which you are interested make an offer on the same day. Therefore, you must request a reasonable amount of time to consider the job offer. To soften any surprise on the part of the offerer that you did not accept the job immediately, phrase your request for time with enthusiasm and as if your ultimate acceptance will be automatic. "Mr. Employer, I am flattered and very happy with your offer. I am sure that I will accept it.
However, I am too excited now to make a rational decision. Plus, I have committed to talk to one other company next week. Although I don t believe they can match your offer, I do feel obligated to talk to them as I have already agreed to the interview. I'll give you my formal acceptance in two weeks and expect to start work shortly thereafter”.
Although one to two weeks to accept or decline a job offer is standard, some very aggressive companies will demand an answer by the next day, if not on the spot. Accept such offers only if they are clearly too good to refuse and with the expectation that such companies normally are also equally demanding and unyielding after employment. From your standpoint, you do not want to make an immediate decision for two reasons: (1) you need time to analyze the offer objectively and (2) companies, like people, do not appreciate any thing or anybody who was too easy to obtain. As an example of the second reason, one of my associates and I once arranged for a company to make an offer to an individual who had no other offers and desperately wanted to work for that company in the given city. Although the interviewer had a very high opinion of the candidate, the interviewer later expressed surprise to my associate that the candidate accepted the job offer immediately. His reaction was "I think I must have offered him more money than necessary." Because of that land of reaction, subsequent raises may have been less than were deserved because of the interviewing supervisor's perception of initially having offered too large a salary. Consequently, do not accept job offers on the spot to avoid such perceptions as well as to give yourself sufficient time to objectively evaluate each offer compared to your present job and to several other job offers.
While you do not want to make an immediate decision on your job offers, you do not want to take too long to decide either. The longer you take to make any important personal decision, the more difficult it becomes to finally make that decision, no matter how logical the solution seems. Moreover, the longer you keep an employer waiting for your response to a job offer, the greater the probability that your interest and decision-making ability will be questioned. Also, an employer becomes less likely with time to agree to renegotiate the job offer any further or to grant additional time to consider the offer. Even though you would like to have several employers compete for your employment, employers are human and do not want to feel as if they are being used. So, use the job offer from one employer to speed interviews and offers from other employers, but do not overtly ask them to engage in a bidding war for your services. Rather, be subtle and matter-of-fact about it.
Once you have your job offer in hand, re-contact all the other companies you have interviewed and encourage them to make an offer. Nothing makes you as attractive to a company as the fact that another company wants you. "Mr. Interviewer, I have just received a job offer from the XYZ Company. While the offer is attractive, I think I would really rather work for you. How soon can you make me an offer?"
If the company contact gives you a vague response about still being involved in interviewing or needing more time, then you are not a top candidate and you can cross them off your list, assuming you have talked previously with this individual in your post-interview follow-up and have tried to identify and overcome any objections. If not, do so now.
If the company contact inquires about the details of your job offer, he or she is interested in you. Reveal the details in order to avoid the appearance of bluffing and to imply your minimally acceptable offer from this company. Often the individual will respond that he or she will check on the status of your job offer and will call you back. You inform the individual that since you need to make a decision soon and you know how busy that person is, you will call back the following day to find out what has been decided.
Another job offer is probably forthcoming.
However, if the individual states I don't think we can match that offer," you respond, "What kind of offer can you make?" If the interviewer then describes a salary level and a job title, you say, "Sounds good. Is that a firm job offer?" The individual will either confirm that it is or that the offer must be approved by a second individual. In either case, you have another job offer or soon will have.
After you have re-contacted all these companies, you should have been able to generate additional job offers for yourself in order to be able to objectively select from among several offers as described in the following chapter. The less favorable situation of having to decide on only one job offer will also be covered. During this approximately two-week-long period, while wait ing for the other job offers to arrive, continue trying to arrange interviews with new companies. Again use your first job offer as a lever: ''Mr. Employer, I am anxious to make a job change. I do have an attractive job offer now. However, I am extremely interested in your company and would very much like the opportunity of talking with you before making my decision."
Get all job offers in rating. This prevents miscommunication over the vital facts of salary, title, benefits, and anything else promised or expected. One man who attended one of my seminars told a pertinent anecdote. He had recently accepted a new position in a different city, moved his family, bought a home, and reported to work only to find that the supervisor who had hired him had left the company. Gone with him was the verbal agreement to provide free use of a company car to the young man. The company began to charge him for the car. Without the company car, the man did not feel that the job was economically attractive. He immediately was back in the job market. Companies have been known to withdraw job offers because of a sudden change of corporate direction or simply irresponsible whimsy. Whatever the reason, if you have already resigned your previous job, you could be left out in the cold unless you have the offer in writing. Having it in writing may dissuade the company from withdrawing the offer in the first place, and it certainly strengthens your legal options.
Finally, asking for the offer in writing automatically gives you additional time to consider the offer while soliciting others.
If a company hesitates to make a job offer in writing, press the matter politely but firmly. The rationale you provide them is that this is an important career decision for you, and you want to be certain of the facts before you irrevocably resign your current position. Explain also that you feel that all important business agreements should be fully documented. If the company still refuses to put the offer in writing, use your own judgment after first investigating the company thoroughly with the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and competitors.
When you must decline a job offer, do it also in writing. Decline the offer politely while explaining the specific reasons why you could not accept the position and under what circumstances, if any, you would accept the job. Occasionally, a spumed company will respond to your letter with a better offer.
