When You Should Say No to a Job Offer (even if you need a job)

You got a job offer. Congratulations! This is a major accomplishment and involved many steps and hard work to get to this point. You beat out the competition and are the number one choice for the hiring organization. Amazing! Now, you have to decide if you really want this job or not. Whether you are already employed but looking to make a change, or if you are not currently working and need employment there are reasons for and reasons against accepting a job offer.

It is easier to be rational and make a sound decision if you have a job already; you are able to compare what you have now with what you could have. Would you be better off in the new company or better staying where you are? Usually, you will know pretty quickly. And since you already have a job, many of the emotions are taken out.

However, if you are not currently employed and need a job, it can be way more tempting to say yes to a job that you know is not right. Presumably, you are not independently wealthy and need income which is why you are looking for a job in the first place. So when the job offer comes in, your brain is probably screaming you to accept. After all, it is a boost to your ego and a chance to start back to work earning again. You also need to listen to your gut – the quieter voice of your subconscious that can get drowned out by the louder one in your head.

Think back to that moment when you received the job offer. What did your face do? Did you smile and do a happy dance or frown and furrow your brow? It may sound simple but your immediate reaction is very telling. Reaction responses don’t lie. Here’s how to get a clear signal on how to make potentially one of your life’s biggest decisions:

 

Do your Due Diligence

I was standing in my kitchen when the email came up notifying me that the company I had been interviewing with were “delighted to offer me the position.” I kept staring at my phone. Now what? Up to this point, I was so focused on winning over said company that I hadn’t evaluated properly whether this was what I really wanted.

I realized that I didn’t have enough information to say yes or no. The interview process had been all for the company interviewing me and left very little opportunity for me to ask questions and get a feel for the company. I had been to the office for one interview once (the previous interviews had all been by phone), and had only met two of the nine team members that I was going to be managing. I knew the basics of the job and understood what they were looking for in a candidate and felt pleased that I fit the bill in their minds, but for a job placement to be successful the fit has to be a two-way street.

There are several things you should do in this scenario. First of all, reply as quickly as possible – remain positive and grateful for the opportunity. You want the decision to remain in your court. Just because you have been given the offer doesn’t mean it can’t be taken away – job offers can be rescinded! Pausing too long before replying will make the employer question your enthusiasm and they may wonder if you are in fact the right person for the job. After all, they want someone who wants them.

When you reply, either by email or telephone, let them know you are delighted and excited as well but would like to schedule a call with the person you are going to be reporting to just to ask a few more questions. Again, keep your tone light and confident. They will most likely agree and think that this is a positive step because you are showing interest and that you are just doing normal due diligence. A good company will see this as a good sign. If they don’t agree and enforce the deadline for acceptance that was on the offer letter, that is a big, shiny red flag!

Make sure you are well prepared for the additional conversation when you have it. Write out your specific questions and know what you are looking for in an answer. You probably have a few but there might be ones that you haven’t thought of. There are many articles on the Internet with questions to ask in job interviews that can help.

Things you need to know are how you will be judged or you and your team’s KPIs. Is this a newly created position or are you replacing someone? If you are replacing someone, why did that person leave? Red flag if you don’t get a clear or believable answer. If it is a new position, why do they suddenly need this role? Don’t be shy to ask about the company’s revenue if it is not publicly traded and available, and what the forecasted revenue is. How do they plan to reach those goals? If it doesn’t sound like a sound plan it could be a warning sign.

Go Online

Have you checked out the Glassdoor reviews? Most companies will have good and bad employee reviews so take the bad with a grain of salt but you can find out a lot this way that no one currently employed will tell you to your face.

The very negative reviews are often from disgruntled ex-employees with an axe to grind. They should be considered but look more carefully at the ones that are thoughtful and well-written that don’t seem to have the intent to destroy, rather a genuine desire to help someone not make the same mistake that they did. These are the PSA type of reviews that can really help you.

Be wary as well if all the reviews are nothing but positive as well. Employers are not legally allowed to request employees to create positive reviews, however I have worked for companies where the hint was dropped strongly that they were looking a Glassdoor reviews and were pleased with current employee positive reviews.

If there is nothing overly alarming in the reviews, then don’t bring it up. However, you should absolutely address any issue that comes up repeatedly or is an absolute deal-breaker for you (see “Knowing your Deal Breakers” below.)

Finally, look at your LinkedIn network and see if you have any connections that are connected to the company. Do you know anyone that works there currently? Reach out to them politely to see if they can give you some insights. They may not want to give you too much information for the sake of their own job security, but by asking the right questions, you can find out some clues to whether this

Get Out of Your Head

Now that you have all the information you need, get all that out of your brain by writing it out. This step is crucial. With so many conflicting thoughts swirling around your head, it is impossible to make a rational decision without visualizing it. This is the time to let your head rule.

Create a comprehensive pros and cons list and rate each item in order of importance. This can be done on a spreadsheet, a pros and cons for job seekers template can help you get started, or just use good old fashioned pen and paper.

Rating each item helps you quantify what is really important to you. Is a foosball table and beer Fridays more important to you than autonomy or if the company provides funds for employees to take job related educational courses? Maybe. This part is subjective and only you can know.

 

Knowing your Deal Breakers

You have to decide what environment will let you thrive, what you can live with and what will make you go cry secretly in the bathroom every day while you are at the office.These are the deal breakers that you need to pay attention to. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Working style: Do you prefer to work independently or as a team?
2. Environment: Are you more productive in your own space or do you like the energy of open-concept offices?
3. Your boss: What kind of leadership style has been the best for you in the past – a boss who provides constant input or leaves you alone most of the time?
4. Flexibility: Many jobs can be done anywhere that there is an internet connection. Is this one of them or do they require you to be in the office to get your work done.

Make a list of what you cannot live with in a job and stick to your guns.

It can be an agonizing decision to turn down a job that isn’t perfect when you are looking for one. However, if you take a job for short term gain and end up unhappy and looking at the help wanted signs again in a few months you will be worse off. Take a deep breath, have patience, know your worth and don’t settle for less than what you know will be a long-term career growth opportunity. It is out there.