4 ways to manage a job offer before accepting or not

Are you waiting to hear back from another company on a job offer? Unfortunately, in the fast-paced world of recruiting and hiring, things don’t always go smoothly.

Sometimes you may find yourself in an awkward position where you can’t accept or decline an offer until you know about another opportunity. This might leave you feeling stuck with no good options.

Luckily, there are ways to get through the situation:

1. Know your options before reaching out

Before you reach out to the employer, you should make sure you have exhausted all your other options. You don’t want to give the impression that you’re desperate or need a job “now.”

Even if you have a specific deadline—like accepting an offer before a certain date—make sure you’ve done everything you can to find a solution before contacting the other company.

It’s a good idea to have a timeline set up with your recruiter or HR rep at the company so they know you’re waiting on another offer. Then they can give you an idea of how long it takes to get an offer from the company. This way, you know when you need to make a decision and can plan accordingly.

2. Ask for more information

If you think you want to work for the company and just need more time to make a decision, you can try reaching out to your recruiter and asking for more information. Where should you go for training? What’s the work culture like? What does the rest of the department look like? What’s the environment like? How much vacation time do employees get?

These are all questions you may want answered before making a decision. You have to figure out what you need in order to be 100% certain that it’s the right job for you.

Even with all your questions answered you still might be divided. In this case, you just have to trust your gut and do what’s best for you.

3. Respond by saying you need more time

It’s pretty rare that an employer will offer you an ultimatum saying, “you have 24 hours to accept this offer.”

If you’re waiting for another offer and don’t want to ask for more information, you can try replying to the hiring manager and saying something along the lines of: “I’m incredibly interested in this position and am hoping to make a decision very soon. While I do have another offer on the table and am hoping to make a decision soon, there are a few things I’d like to make sure are in place before I can sign a contract.”

What are those things you’re hoping to have in place? Here are some examples:

• • Working arrangements with your current employer.
  • Details about the benefits with the new company.
  • Details about the sign-on bonuses or other incentives.
  • The exact location where you’ll be working.
  • Details about training programs.

4. Be respectful

If you’ve waited as long as you can and you still don’t have a decision from the other company, you don’t have to wait any longer. If the company has given you a deadline to accept or decline their offer, you can reject it and go with the other company.

The company may not take kindly to you “playing them against each other” and may see you as unprofessional. If you’re choosing to reject an offer because you prefer the other one, be sure to do so with tact and respect.

You don’t want to burn bridges with either company, and you certainly don’t want to come off as ungrateful or unappreciative.

Conclusion

Receiving a job offer is a huge milestone in your career and your life! The last thing you want to do, however, is get ahead of yourself and accept an offer before you’re 100% sure that it’s the right fit for you.

There are tons of things you need to consider before you sign on the dotted line, and you want to make sure you have all the information you need before making a decision.

While you’re waiting for another offer, make sure you have all your ducks in a row and have everything you need to make an informed choice.

💡It can be easy to accept a job offer as soon as you get it. However, by asking the right questions, you can find out if the company is actually the right fit for you. So what questions should you ask? Read more here →