Accepting a Job Offer

Jun 17

What is a job offer?

A job offer is a formal offer of employment with the intention of providing you with a clear picture of what they are offering you in exchange for your time. The offer will typically include the following:

Job title and description, including duties and responsibilities

Department, team, and manager name

Whether the job is permanent or temporary, and if temporary, when the job ends

Compensation: at a minimum it will include your hourly rate and number of hours per week or the yearly salary. Other types of compensation that may be included are bonuses, stock/equity, and retirement benefits.

Benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO) including if you start with any PTO and when you can begin taking PTO, health and dental insurance, life insurance, short/long term disability, tuition reimbursement, etc.Start date and schedule (days per week, hours per day, start and end times, etc.)

Working arrangement: on-site, remote, or hybrid. If there are any on-site requirements those should be included (location, days per week, etc.).

How long the offer is good for and how to accept the offer

Your offer may include more, less, or different information than this but try and get confirmation in writing on what’s offered for these basic points so you’re able to make an informed decision.

Get your job offer in writing

If the offer was made verbally, make sure to request a copy in writing. Asking for this is entirely acceptable. There are two main reasons you want to ensure that you receive the offer in writing: (1) allows you to read and understand exactly what is being offered, and (2) it makes the offer official. Without a written offer, you don’t have an official offer.

With the official offer in writing, within 24 hours make sure to acknowledge that you have received it, and make sure to thank them. You’ve got an offer; this is good news, and you should feel excited! But be careful not to rush into a decision. Even if you’re desperate for a job, make sure you fully understand what it is you’re agreeing to. If you feel that you’ll need extra time to think through the offer, asking for more time is acceptable. But I would suggest only asking for more time if you’re serious about the job. Understand that they have other candidates who are waiting to hear if they’re getting an offer or not. Anyone who has had to wait for an offer to come in (or not) can tell you how painful it can be not hearing anything. If you pass on the offer, they will go to their second choice. So, if you just happen to know that you will not be accepting the offer, the best thing you can do is to decline the offer quickly so they can move on to their next candidate.

Assessing the job offer

Once you have a written offer, it’s time to read through it thoroughly and make sure that you understand what is being offered to you. If you have any questions, feel comfortable asking for clarification. There is a lot of consider when assessing the offer. You should consider the offer in its entirety and not just on the pay. For example, the pay may be less than you were wanting but the benefits might make up for that with no cost health insurance and generous PTO. Or maybe the pay is great, but they may require you to be on-site every day and may not allow you to take any PTO until you’ve been working for several months. It’s also worth considering if the job will help you grow as a professional. Growth is hard to put a price on so don’t undervalue it. It’s also worth consider the reputation of the company. If you have concerns about the future of the company, this is worth considering. Conversely, if the company has a strong growth outlook or it’s a well-respected name, this is worth something.

Ultimately, only you can know if this is the right offer for you.

Should you negotiate?

If the offer isn’t exactly what you were hoping for, it may be worth making a counteroffer. Some offers have no room for negotiation while others do. And some parts of the job offer may be non-negotiable while other parts are negotiable. For example, the employer may not be willing to budge on compensation, but they may be willing to start your PTO bank with a few weeks on the first day.

According to CareerBuilder1, nearly half of applicants counteroffer the pay they are being offered. And more than half of employers intentionally make an initial offer with lower pay than is budgeted for the role because they expect the applicant to counteroffer and ask for more pay.

While not common, it’s worth noting that there is always a risk of an employer withdrawing their offer when they receive a counteroffer2. If you decided to counteroffer, The Balance has a few best practices they suggest3:

1. Do your research. Before you negotiate, make sure you know where you stand. Research the appropriate salary range for the position, given the job title, location, job requirements, and necessary skills. There are several free online salary calculators that can provide vetted information.

2. Be enthusiastic and grateful. Before asking for higher pay or better benefits, be sure to thank your prospective employer for the offer and express your excitement about the position. If you’re not prepared to make an immediate counteroffer right away, ask the employer how much time you have to consider the offer. Be polite and professional at all times. Smile and make sure the hiring manager knows that you want to be part of the team and that the success of the company is important to you.

3. Provide data. Also, you should be prepared to defend your request with reasons as to why you deserve increased compensation. Make your case based on data and remember to focus on how you can solve their problems, not on your financial situation.

4. Stay calm. Even if you’re insulted by a low offer, don’t show it and don’t say anything in anger. Instead, calmly and kindly explain why you’re making a counteroffer.

The Balance3

Turning down a job offer

If, after assessing the offer, you’ve decided to turn down the offer, make sure to do so quickly and politely. Doing so helps you maintain a positive relationship with the company and anyone who’s been part of the interview process. Declining an offer should be done through a brief and polite email that clearly states you have made the decision to pass on their offer4. Reiterate how much you appreciate their time and their offer. And don’t feel bad. Having a candidate decline an offer happens all the time, and they are generally prepared to move on to the next candidate as soon as they receive your message.

How to accept a job offer

If you’ve decided to accept their offer, review the offer again and look for wording on how to officially accept the offer. Typically, the offer will state how they would like you to accept their offer. Sometimes it’s as simple as replying to the email stating that you are accepting their offer. In other cases, they may require that you print out the offer, sign it, and then return it to them. If it’s not clearly stated on their offer, make sure to ask them how they like you to accept their offer.

If you have any scheduled time off, like a vacation, it’s advised to bring this up when accepting the offer. This way your new employer is aware of your availability as soon as possible. They may need to, and usually are willing to, make an exception to their time off policy to allow you to take your scheduled time off. It’s best to upfront about this to ensure you still able to take that time off while not casting you in a bad light.

What are contingencies?

Many job offers include contingencies. Common examples are background checks, drug screenings, and providing required documents. If there are contingencies, the offer will state what they are. Make sure you’re clear on what is expected of you and that you are compliant.

What to do if you have multiple offers or are waiting on other offers

If you have multiple offers in writing, this is usually as simple as evaluating the offers and deciding which offer is the best for you. Only you can know which offer is best for you. Each person has a different motivator: some want as much pay as possible, others are looking for more flexibility, while others are looking for the one with the most opportunities for growth, and others it’s not just one thing but a mixture of factors each with different weights.

Where it becomes tricky is when you have only one offer in writing, and you believe that you have at least one more offer arriving any time. This can be tricky, but there are steps that you can take to ensure success. Remember, the only offers you have are ones that are in writing. If you don’t have additional offers in writing, don’t assume you will. If you jeopardize the only offer that you have, and additional offers never materialize, you now have no offers to accept and will need to start your job search over. Offers will often include a timeline when the company would like to have a decision from you. If you believe that you’ll need a few more days beyond what the offer requests to have a response by, ask for more time. Unless you have reasons to believe being honest will jeopardize your offer, honesty is your best option. The Muse has a great example of how to reach out to ask for more time:

I am so grateful for the offer and excited about the possibility of joining XYZ Unlimited. I know you want my response by Thursday. I have one final conversation booked this week with another company, and I’d like to see it through. Would it be possible to have one to three extra days to firm up my decision?

The Muse5

Typically, they will grant additional time. But if they happen to not approve you with additional time, you will need to make a decision with what you have in hand. Your options are to either pass on this offer and hope for the other offer to materialize or accept this offer.

If you’ve been given additional time to make your decision, it’s recommended that you wait until after you’ve had your final interview with the other company. This way, you should have a better sense for how you stack up. If you believe that you have a good chance of securing an offer, this is the time to politely reach out expressing your excitement for the role and notify them of the offer you have in hand. Assuming you are their first choice, they will accelerate their decision making. With any luck, you’ll now have two offers to weigh against each other, and can make an informed decision on which one you’d like to accept.

Close any loose ends and make sure to thank everyone

You’ve accepted an offer, congrats! Now’s the time to satisfy any outstanding contingencies and thank everyone you’ve interacted with so far. This includes anyone from the company whose offer you have accepted, but also any companies that you didn’t accept an offer from. This is a nice touch that far too often is overlooked. Sending a quick thank you helps maintain a positive image of you and is especially helpful as you begin onboarding with your new employer.