You’ve got the job offer, now comes the hard part. Assessing whether or not to take the job depends on the salary offered, as well as nontangible perks such as vacation time and stock options. When should you try to get a better deal? And how do you decline an offer if you find that it’s not the right fit?
John Lees, the author of The Success Code, says the moment a job is offered is critical: “You have more leverage… right after you are made an offer than you do in your first two years of employment.” That means you can help shape your duties, salary and benefits before you even start working. This is a moment to think about your quality of life vis-a-vis the work you want to do.
When to Accept
After you’ve methodically assessed the offer. Never say yes to a job offer on the spot. Evaluating the job offer to be sure it’s right for you will make you happier in the long run.
- Don’t just focus on the money. Ask yourself, “What is of value to me?” and figure out the trade-offs. Is the salary offer an amount worthy of your knowledge and skills? Is it an offer within local market rate? Research job search websites, such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Ladders, and Salary.com as well as recruiters and headhunters in the industry to see what others in your field are getting paid, and craft “a good argument for why you are in the top 10-15 percent of that range,” says Lees.
- Know the job requirements. What activities and skills will you be asked to use at work? Are these tasks you want to do? For example, if you hate travel but the job requires it, how will that affect your quality of life? Afterward, see how your offer matches up against your upcoming responsibilities. If you can achieve the goals set on the job, then it’s probably for you.
- Research the office culture. Reach out to people who’ve worked in the company, if you can, through mutual contacts or via LinkedIn. Ask questions about the organization and length of time that people stay on the job. If you can, find out what happened to the last person who did the job. If you are able to spend a day at the company during the evaluation stage, you can get an idea of what your colleagues are like.
- Ask about perks: Vacation time, flexibility, great health benefits or free food are perks that need to be factored into your decision. Before accepting a job, find out what benefits are given to current employees. If a flexible schedule is important to you, find out whether that’s an option that’s acceptable to senior management.
- Consider your other options. Maybe you don’t have other job offers in hand, but weighing the pros and cons of accepting a job is a useful exercise nonetheless.
When to negotiate
After you’ve gotten the answers to questions that are important to you, write down what you want, in priority order. That way, you can keep a list — and stick to it — while negotiating. While it could be hard to keep a cheerful countenance while negotiating, stay tough but pleasant. After all, you can’t negotiate everything, but being prepared, respectful, and constructive on the negotiating table can make you even more appealing to your prospective employers.
If you need a script for negotiating, try this:
- For perks: “The salary you’re offering is great, but I want to keep developing in this role. What are the possibilities of having access to a mentoring program, a rotation program, or an educational allowance within the job?
- For a flexible work schedule: “I am quite happy with the role and responsibilities, but I would like to work from home one day per week since my commute is twice as long as my current one. Would that be possible?”
When to Decline
If you're not 100 percent sure that this is the right job for you, ask for more time to consider it. And, after all is said and done, you’re still not seeing a give-and-take in the negotiations with a prospective employer, that could be a sign to walk away. “[Inflexibility] could well be a management style you don’t want to live with,” says Lees. It’s not a terrible thing to turn a job down politely if you have a good reason; but always leave the door open and be respectful.
After all, it is best practice to maintain positive relationships with companies should you wish to pursue future job opportunities.
