Why is it Important to Decline a Job Offer with Grace?

We all hope to be in the situation of having so many job offers in our hands that we find ourselves required to decline jobs, right? You may think that this situation does not require any finesse or extra effort on your part. However, I caution you to handle the decline of a job offer with the same level of professionalism you used to land the job offer in the first place.

There are many reasons, aside from having multiple offers, that you may have to turn down an offer. The money may not be right. You may feel that the company's culture or the boss' leadership style are not a fit for you. Perhaps you decided you are not willing to work the hours, travel the distance, or make the commute that the job will require. No matter the reason you decide to turn down the job, the process of declining a job can be quite uncomfortable and awkward.

For this reason many people tend to shy away from the conflict of saying "no thank you" to the offer. Here are some of the key reasons I caution you to be diplomatic and attentively professional when responding to the offer.

• You never know what may happen or change in your future. The location or money may not work for you today, but your situation may change. If you don't turn down the job in a professional manner, you will never get another chance with this company.

• NEVER burn a bridge or sacrifice a networking contact. The human resources person you are working with at company A may someday move to company B where you really want to work. HR people see thousands of candidates every year, but I am sure the negative experiences stand out in their memories. Don't be a bad HR memory!

• You don't want to get a bad reputation, especially in today's world where networking and social media are the rule. Human resources professionals travel in the same circles and often talk to their counterparts within the same industry. Make a positive impression, even in a negative situation, and you may just get a networking referral in the future.

• You must never lead a company on and should always be timely in turning down an offer. Think twice about negotiating with the company for increased salary and benefits if you know in advance that you have no intention of taking the job. The extra work they put into meeting your demands will leave a very bad, lasting impression with HR and will hurt your future chances.

How to Turn Down a Job Offer

Throughout your interview process, you want to leave a positive impression, which can also be construed as being very interested in the position. However, you may come to the conclusion that the job is not right for you. Regardless of your reasons, declining a job offer can prove to be a very awkward situation.

According to Forbes.com, the following tips can be useful if you need to turn down a job offer.

Be sincere and show your appreciation:  Stay positive and let the employer know what interested you in the job and the company in the first place. Remember to thank the hiring manager for the opportunity.  Don’t have an attitude, and don’t burn any bridges. Be respectful of the company and what it has to offer.

Be prepared to give an explanation:  Make sure you have well-thought-out rationale for turning down the job. Be prepared to explain why it was not the right job for you, and cite some specific reasons.

Be timely:  If you decide to decline the opportunity, do so within the week it was offered. This is especially true if the company spent a lot of time and money on your interview and the hiring process. The rejection should be via phone, not email. Speak to the hiring manager, if possible. If the hiring manager is unavailable, promptly send a letter to all those whom you spoke with at the interview. 

A professional attitude can go a long way. You never know. Sometime in the future, you may be considering the same company again for a different position. Keep the door open by showing diplomacy and respect.

Five Steps to Decline a Job Intelligently

In May of 2005,  I had a problem...the good kind of problem. Two organizations wanted to hire me to begin working that July. I obviously couldn't work for the both of them so I had a big decision to make. Declining a job offer intelligently takes foresight, planning, and professional acumen. Follow these steps to accept the right position and decline the other intelligently:

1. Ensure the decision is right for you: Look at both job offers objectively as they compare to your values. Are you being compensated the way that you believe? Will you have the autonomy that you crave? How does the position fit in with your long-term career plans? Will your potential supervisor be one that you feel you can learn from? These and other questions need to be considered in light of what is important to you. Search you soul, make a pro/con chart, and consult with mentors if you need to to make the right decision.

2. Accept the job offer and get it in writing: This is a crucial step to declining a job intelligently, as it will give you the security you need to confidently turn down the other job. Getting a job offer in writing doesn't guarantee the job in event that funding is cut or some other abnormal circumstance occurs (unless you have a contract), but it will give you the good-faith security you need to turn down the other offer.

3. Contact the other job and be direct about your decision: When you contact the organization that you are turning down, be direct and to-the-point with them...but not too direct. For example, if you get the feeling that your future supervisor will be a slave-driving micromanager, it would be considered rude to tell him/her that, or even to tell the organization's recruiter that. Think of the broad, general reasons why the job isn't the right one for you, including your career goals, work responsibilities, and type of work.

4. Expect questions (and possibly a counter-offer): Be prepared for any questions that may come your way, even direct questions like "are you declining the job because you think that your future supervisor will be a slave-driving micromanager?" Tactful but brief responses are required here: emphasize that you have given the positions a lot of thought and you feel that the other one is right for your career, goals, and the time in your life (if these apply). If salary was the deciding factor for you and they try to lure you with a higher salary, you can stick to your original plan and turn them down or you can reconsider. Just be aware of the impact of making a decision like this on your professional persona.

5. Say thank you: As always, thank the organization for the opportunity and the interest. Your graciousness here can open opportunities in the future.

While you may be initially excited to have to entertain two job offers, you still need to show the utmost professionalism and consideration when choosing one over the other and when accepting one and turning the other down.