Help: Change of Heart about OfferHi: I've been on a job search roller coaster and would love some input on how best to communicate a change of heart about an offer. I received a job offer for a senior-level position I'm not crazy about but which I initially accepted because I've been out of work and just needed a job. When negotiating the offer, I asked for a 2 percent increase of the original salary offered in order to meet the low end of the (quite reasonable) range I requested. I also asked for minor flexibility in the work schedule to accommodate some transportation issues. Both requests were denied. In addition, there were also a couple of other "odd" situations during the interviewing process which included asking my references negative questions about me, long delays in making decisions and communicating with me and sarcastic remarks made regarding the positive comments my references made about me. In the meantime, I very recently applied for a great position which would be much better for me. After receiving my application, the recruiter indicated she moved me up to the top of the list of the candidates they are considering because they liked my experience. I have a good feeling that this position will come through in the next few weeks (but at this point it is only that). I wouldn't start the position I agreed to for a few weeks so there will probably be an overlap between hearing from the job I want and the start of the other. Should I back out of the original offer now and take the chance I will hear about the other offer soon? Or, should I wait until I hear from the other offer first? My initial thought was to inform the employer I agreed to about a change of heart now to give them time to contact their other candidates. I thought this might be better than waiting to hear about the other position which might be just a week before I am due to start the other job. I know I am a really good fit for this other position and the recruiter has given me positive comments so far. I'd really appreciate any input from those willing to weigh in on this issue. If I do contact the original employer about having a change of heart, what's the best way to phrase it or communicate it? Thanks!! Since you've been out of work it doesn't sound like you can afford to let both of these offers get past you. If you back out now and the other doesn't come through, it could be 6-12 months before you find something else and it just doesn't sound like you're in a position to do that. If/When you do back out, all you can say is that something else unexpectedly came up that is a much better fit for your skills and abilities. Sorry for the inconvienience, yada, yada. You will have blown any chance of working for this company again in the future and you really only get one or two shots at doing something like this in your career, so make sure this is the time to do it. Tess Dear TM: Thanks so much for responding. I know you are right about not bowing out of the offer until I get the other. I was just thinking that it would be more fair to the employer to back out now rather than a few weeks from now (or even a couple of months from now) so they could contact their other candidates. As for burning bridges, of course it's not something I'd relish doing but I'm not as concerned wth that in this situation. They are a very small company and I pursued a position there only because I was following up on every lead. It's not a position I would be particularly excited about at any time. Also, their behavior during all of this hasn't given me a good feeling about the way they operate. Again, thanks for your input. I really appreciate your comments.
Based on what you've written, it doesn't sound as if this first company is all that great to begin with.... But, don't back out of the job until you have this other one, or some other one, lined up and set in stone. If you get an offer that you can be excited about and that is a great fit for you, don't feel guilty about backing out of the first one. You need to do what is best for you. But, make sure this 2nd offer is indeed a great fit. As Tess says, you can't jump ship like this very often or it'll sink your career.
Dear Soblue, I enjoyed reading your post and have found myself in a similar situation previously. I commend you for thinking about the impact of your decision. Any company would be lucky to get you. The old adage "A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush", definitely applies here. It sounds as though under different circumstances you would prefer to keep looking and wouldn't take Job #1? If it isn't possible to do that, take Job #1 and continue to look. It's better to back out of an offer than to decline a concrete offer for one that never arrives! If an offer is made for Job #2, I would simply state that as much as you appreciate the offer from Job #1, you've accepted an intervening offer from a company with a better fit for you. Some may take it as an invitation to engage in a bidding war for you, so you'll need to make clear your decision is final. Clearly, you'll handle it with grace and professionalism, but I warn you, based on your comments about the lack of professionalism from Job #1, be prepared for a backlash. Good luck! Since it sounds like you need a job sooner rather than later, I wouldn't decline this job in hopes that the other opportunity will amount to something sometime. Nor would I let the issues you mentioned sour my attitude about the company that made the offer. Did you ask if their offer was negotiable before proposing a counter-offer? A request for a 2% increase just can't be a deal-breaker on what sounds like it might have been a non-negotiable offer. Secondly, with all due respect, your transportation issues honestly aren't the prospective employer's problem. Next, not everybody knows how to conduct a reference check, although it's not unusual to ask questions like, "What could so-and-so have done to have gotten better results on the job?" or "If you had to identify so-and-so weaknesses on the job, what would you say?" So asking questions that have a negative tone to them isn't all that uncommon. If I were you, I'd take the job - just to make sure I had one and wait and see what happens with the other opportunity. If an offer is made that's even better, you can always resign and accept it, making it clear that this was an unexpected opportunity that's really more in line with your career goals that you just can't allow to get away. Then thank them profusely, apologize for any inconvenience you may have caused, give your two weeks notice and take the other job. Don't have a change of heart until there's a transplant ready to replace the one you've got, metaphorically speaking. Paul W. Barada The Negotiation Expert | |
|
Career Tips
|