Short & Sweet Rules for Turning Down Offers

Happy new year! The Bay Area tech and life sciences job market has been surprisingly strong this past year, and I’m seeing top candidates getting multiple offers. LinkedIn’s Get Hired column covers how to say no and still preserve the relationship. My favorite tips here:

1. Be responsive. Do not sit on the offer. Hiring managers need to fill their reqs as soon as possible, so don’t put them in a bad position by dithering. Instead, let them keep the process moving while you preserve a good relationship with them.
2. Be gracious. Thank them (getting an offer is a compliment!) and be honest. The article quotes Kerri Twigg, a stories strategy coach: “I found that being honest about what is making you say no is helpful and bridge-building… I used to apply for jobs to see how far I would get and ended up turning a lot down. But, it didn’t [burn] any bridges, and often my insight and reasons helped the company in the end.”
3. Call the hiring manager. Don’t send a curt email, and for God’s sake don’t ghost anyone. The company invested a lot of time in you, so the least you can do is call them with gratitude and honesty. Since they wanted you to join them, they will understand if others do too and will not trap you in an excruciating call. (They are eager to close the deal with someone who wants to join.)

Remember: Your goal is to be thought of as the one they got away, the one they will turn to for future counsel. Make sure your actions today line up with this ideal result. For more concrete advice on handling multiple offers (how to get more time, what to say to whom and how), see my post here.