Stalling a job offer in case a better one comes.....

[R.O.S.S.I]

Been unemployed for about 6 weeks now and I was offered a role this morning for somewhere i'd be interviewing. Salary is a little on the lower side of what I wanted but that is partially my fault as I expressed in an initial email the incorrect banding when asked. Fully remote role, usual holidays and medical perks, and a yearly bonus dependent on the business performance. Nothing too unusual or special for that matter. I told them that I'd like to think about it as I was actually also waiting to hear back from another couple interviews and didn't want to make any hasty decisions.

Was I right to do this? Or should I have just accepted it (or negotiated a salary bump), then declined it at a later date if the better one comes in later in the week?

 

[dowie]

It's fine to delay a little bit in accepting, especially if you're waiting for another offer too. It's also fine to ask for more money at the offer stage, they nailed you to a figure early on but you don't need to stick with that. Having a rival offer can definitely work in your favour there as it gives you a pretty clear and easily justifiable reason to ask for more.

Also even if the second place makes a higher offer you can also ask them for more too - do they know you've got an offer already elsewhere (they don't need to know what it is), that fact alone could be used to get them to boost theirs and then you could go back to the first company... then make a decision.

edit - Lastly, you can still ask for more from the first place even if you don't get a second offer, just throw in some justification for it and be tactful if talking to the hiring manager directly, otherwise if talking to the recruiter you can probably be a bit more direct and say you're inclined to accept/they can close the deal this week if they can just go back to their client and get you a bit more money.

Basically, 90% of the time this should work and is free money (which accumulates for every year you work there) not asking for more at the offer stage can mean tens of thousands left on the table if you spend a few years at the company.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

OK this is good to know. I'm hopeful I can just iron things out this afternoon after my interview.

 

[HangTime]

It's fine to wait but they will likely request a timescale as understandably they don't want to be left in the lurch indefinitely especially if they are other potentially proceedable candidates. From memory I stalled my current employer by about a week.
Make it clear that you are keen on the role however given their offer is less competitive than other places you are interviewing, you want to see those processes through to a conclusion. Given you've stated "later in the week" I can't see if being an issue sitting on it for a few days, the issue I had was that I was interviewing at a place with an incredibly protracted interview process where even 5 weeks in they still couldn't give certainty on the final stage, in the end I just withdrew and took the offer (negotiated up slightly) on the table as I already knew the slow place was going to offer less money.

 

[throwaway4372]

I think if you're in this position it implies that you don't really want this job at this salary.
So I think it's fine not to accept that, regardless of other jobs.

 

[HangTime]

When it comes to the salary piece, I know it can be awkward if you've previously indicated a value lower than you'd like was acceptable (I actually did something similar recently). What you can do is express additional factors that you had not given full consideration when you sent the initial mail. For example, elevated childcare costs, benefits not up to expectations / prior roles (e.g. lack of gym membership, less days holiday etc). Basically making 'excuses' (wrong word) as to why you are moving the goalposts a bit. Obviously having other job offers strengthens your position here so you want to see that through.

One question you do need to ask yourself is what your preferred job would actually be if the packages were equal. It would only make sense to accept the offer on the table if you have a preference for that role/company and/or the banding for the other jobs is lower.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Is it bad joojoo to accept a role and then a day later reject it in favour of a better one?

I've just found out that the role i interviewed for yesterday wont be able to give me an answer until tomorrow afternoon as they have one interview left but have said I am the front runner atm, and the first place that offered me a role wants to know today as they said they want to move forward with interviewing others if not.

Would I be out of line asking for another day to decide?
I know its poor form to do so, but should I just accept the first job and then reneg on it if i get offered the new one?
I ideally don't want to be without a job at the end of this as there are no guarantees i'll get offered the second one either yet.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Been unemployed for about 6 weeks now and I was offered a role this morning for somewhere i'd be interviewing. Salary is a little on the lower side of what I wanted but that is partially my fault as I expressed in an initial email the incorrect banding when asked. Fully remote role, usual holidays and medical perks, and a yearly bonus dependent on the business performance. Nothing too unusual or special for that matter. I told them that I'd like to think about it as I was actually also waiting to hear back from another couple interviews and didn't want to make any hasty decisions.

Was I right to do this? Or should I have just accepted it (or negotiated a salary bump), then declined it at a later date if the better one comes in later in the week?

I did this recently, stalled hoping something better would come along but it hasn't so far.

Either way the role was really a wrong fit for me unfortunately, so i'm not too fussed about it... the grind continues.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Is it bad joojoo to accept a role and then a day later reject it in favour of a better one?

I've just found out that the role i interviewed for yesterday wont be able to give me an answer until tomorrow afternoon as they have one interview left but have said I am the front runner atm, and the first place that offered me a role wants to know today as they said they want to move forward with interviewing others if not.

Would I be out of line asking for another day to decide?
I know its poor form to do so, but should I just accept the first job and then reneg on it if i get offered the new one?
I ideally don't want to be without a job at the end of this as there are no guarantees i'll get offered the second one either yet.

To be honest, just accept it and if the other role comes through just say look sorry can't take it.
Is it a bit rude / bad manners? Yes 100%, but the reality is you have to look after number 1, they won't lose any sleep over you.

The way I see it is the decision you make is life altering, for them? it's a minor blip on their radar they don't even really care that much. Also because it's only a single day they'll just turn around and offer it to someone else.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Yeh thats a fair point. The second job has said realistically they wont be able to give me an answer until Monday now anyway so I think i'm going to have to do the dirty and just accept the first and then poss turn it down a bit later on.

 

[A2Z]

Yeh thats a fair point. The second job has said realistically they wont be able to give me an answer until Monday now anyway so I think i'm going to have to do the dirty and just accept the first and then poss turn it down a bit later on.

Yep just accept it, and if a better offer comes along just 'quit', I wouldn't think twice about it, always look after #1 when it comes to jobs.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Yeh thats a fair point. The second job has said realistically they wont be able to give me an answer until Monday now anyway so I think i'm going to have to do the dirty and just accept the first and then poss turn it down a bit later on.

It is what it is tbh.

Either way still nothing to them, soon as you change your mind they ring up 2nd best say oh hey the position just reopened.

 

[HangTime]

If they are pressuring you to decide today, tell them that because you'd be forgoing this other potential offer that you need to negotiate terms i.e. you are prepared to accept at X level. My last job basically went this route, I said I'd withdraw from the other process if they offered X. As it happened I was getting fed up with the other process anyway and knew they had a lower salary range but the first place you are negotiating with don't need to know that. This might indirectly have the effect of stalling the process anyway if they have to get approval from somewhere for an enhanced offer.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Thanks guys. I've ended up negotiating a 10% bump on the salary for the original job and said i'd accept today, but still going to hold out for this other role next week.

Feels wrong to be going about it like this but like you say have to look after numero uno in situations like this. I may even try and use this sitch as a bargaining chip if I get offered the second role on Monday.

 

[Demon]

I wouldn't worry, I do the other side of recruiting and wouldn't take it personally..

It's a shame neither place is exciting you to make the choice easy.. but it's better than being unemployed.. I always like to be excited about a new job before accepting, but sometimes life isn't that easy!

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Thanks guys. I've ended up negotiating a 10% bump on the salary for the original job and said i'd accept today, but still going to hold out for this other role next week.

Feels wrong to be going about it like this but like you say have to look after numero uno in situations like this. I may even try and use this sitch as a bargaining chip if I get offered the second role on Monday.

As cliche as it is, it really comes down to "don't hate the player hate the game".

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

I wouldn't worry, I do the other side of recruiting and wouldn't take it personally..

It's a shame neither place is exciting you to make the choice easy.. but it's better than being unemployed.. I always like to be excited about a new job before accepting, but sometimes life isn't that easy!

To be honest they both have their own pros and cons which is why i'm not just out and out accepting the first and want to see what the second one brings.

The first job is fully remote, so super easy on that front, nothing needs to change with home life, it is doing stuff that has been my bread and butter for so long, looks to be a decent global company with not that great a set of perks but does look to be possible progression to other roles. Con of it really is it would likely end up being less cash and less perks.

The second job isn't remote, is office based, however i've been thinking about the move back to an office job for a while as i'm new to the town i live in and could do with making some friends locally if that makes sense, the role is a step up in responsibility and should come with more pay too. the company and culture seems good after having a couple of interviews with the CEO and seeing the office and the perks appear better here too. Cons of that however are we'd need to find support for our puppy as my partner works shifts and i'd need to negotiate a commute every day which is a slight annoyance but not the end of the world.

So just trying to weigh up things! The big thing is do I really want to start commuting and having the hassle of finding a dog walker or similar for a couple days a week but then not have the benefit of stepping up and progressing in my career OR do I want the easy life and keep things status quo essentially.

 

[jon86]

... the benefit of stepping up and progressing in my career OR do I want the easy life and keep things status quo essentially.

Keeping the status quo for a small pay bump sounds boring and demotivating to me. You may have different priorities though.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

I ended up getting offered the second job after all yesterday afternoon for more money so decided to accept that. The first job made a booboo with my contract (wrong salary) so I hadn't even signed that yet and then I asked another question about start date which they hadn't got back to me yet on, so as soon as I see a contract for the second role and sign it i'll tell the first job i've had a better offer!