Despite high unemployment and an
economy that has not fully stabilized,
executives apparently aren’t feeling
rushed to accept the first job offer they
receive.
Ninety-one percent of the senior
leaders surveyed in ExecuNet’s recently
released 18th annual Executive Job Market
Intelligence Report (EJMIR), said they
wouldn’t accept, or would not necessarily
accept, the first offer they received from
any company. Even finance professionals,
who saw their industry one of the hardest
hit during the recession, don’t appear anxious
or desperate to accept that very first
offer — just nine percent of them said
they would take the job.
Reasons why executives turn down
the first offer vary, but the top determining
factor is usually salary, according to
both executive and corporate recruiters.
Determining if “Yes” or
“No” is the Right Answer
Executives should determine all of their
own personal deal-breakers (those that
don’t necessarily involve others, such as a
boss or a spouse) before they even begin
a job search. Well before considering any
offer, executives must have a clear sense
of what they want from any position they
will take. They need to know what types
of skills they want to use, what type of
company and/or industry would complement
their knowledge and expertise, and
they need to understand what would be
the best fit for both their professional and
personal lives.
“Executives must first be clear about
their career goals and mature about
compromises they are willing and able
to make vs. deal-breakers,” says Debra
Feldman, a Connecticut-based executive
talent agent who represents candidates
during the job search process. “They need
to have some standards on which to
objectively evaluate all potential offers, a
hierarchical ranking of ‘must haves,’ ‘want
to haves’ and ‘won’t accept.’ Know your
limits before you start the process.”
One area which executives need to
assess is work/life balance, advises Marg
Balcom, principal of Massachusetts-based
MBM Career Management Services and
the facilitator for ExecutNet’s networking
meetings in the Boston area. Balcom says
this should include an analysis of the
commute, if after hours “face time” is
part of the culture, if there are appropriate
daycare options, and if more flexibility
is worth a difference in salary.
Bobbie LaPorte, founder and principal
of RAL & Associates, a California-based
leadership, career development and consulting
firm and an ExecuNet meeting
facilitator in Palo Alto, suggests creating a
list of “ideal job preferences” when determining
the criteria for a role an executive
would accept. “It’s important early on in
the career transition process to be clear
on your criteria for a new role, not just
functional responsibility but also values/
culture of the organization, how decisions
are made; your boss’s management style;
how much freedom and autonomy will
you have in the role; compensation, geographic
location and the platform for the
next role,” says LaPorte.
When It’s Not a Fit,
Bowing Out Gracefully
As they examine all aspects of a new
position, from job responsibilities to the
benefits and perks, executives should
eliminate themselves from the running as
soon as they feel a job isn’t the right fit
for them. Even if there has not been an
official offer yet, it’s acceptable to tell
potential employers and/or recruiters you
would like to discontinue the interview
process, experts stress.
“Don’t take it to the end and turn it
down,” says Paula Weiner, president of
New York-based executive search firm
Weiner & Associates, and provide a
specific reason why you reached such a
decision, she adds. If you continue
through the process only to decline the
offer, it sometimes gives the perception
you used the company to improve your
stature with your current employer,
Weiner says.
When informing hiring managers
and recruiters you want to decline a job
offer, don’t let them know via email, says
Rebecca Bamman, vice president of retail/
wholesale division for Florida-based
answerQUEST Executive Search. She
says it’s important to communicate your
message over the phone or in-person. It
needs to be a “live” conversation.
Bamman says it’s appropriate to follow
up with a turn-down letter, in which
you thank the hiring manager for his
time, offer a compliment (such as you
are impressed with their operational efficiencies)
and then reiterate your previous
conversation (either in phone or in person)
when you explained that the position
didn’t match your skills, or whatever the
deal-breaker was. Also, ask the hiring
manager to keep you in mind for future
positions. Bamman says that sometimes
those managers will call that candidate
back for a different position. And that
HR professional or hiring manager might
change jobs and find you are a viable candidate for their new company, or they
could possibly recommend you to a friend
who seeks a candidate with your skill set.
Become a problem-solver in a slightly
different way for both recruiters and hiring
managers. Identify another viable candidate
for the role. Refer a friend or colleague who
you feel would be an ideal fit. That way,
the position still gets filled, and the
recruiter and hiring manager may be
more apt to want to work with you again.
They will likely appreciate the fact that you
were still able to help them fill their open
position with a qualified candidate.
You Never Know
It’s especially important to explain your
reasons for rejecting a position. It could,
in some cases, turn a “no” into a “yes.”
“You want to be as honest as possible.
Tell them what you’re thinking,” says
Bamman. Hiring managers and recruiters
need to know why you don’t want to
accept the job. “Maybe the position
wasn’t right, but maybe they can change
it to make it right,” adds Bamman.
One ExecuNet member says he
turned down an offer after the company
wanted him to begin the new role as soon
as possible. It would have meant losing a
bonus with his previous company. The
new company initially refused to accept a
later start date, but reconsidered later that
day. “I did accept the offer and joined the
new company — according to my schedule,”
he says. “I had done a thorough
evaluation of what I wanted in a company
and an offer, and was willing to
stick to what I wanted. This is probably a
good thing for all to do when job searching
or looking for a change, because
many times the emotional momentum of
the chase and negotiation could lead you
to sacrifice something you otherwise
might have strong feelings about.”
Maintaining Relationships
After Declining
Balcom says candidates should really
focus on building relationships and
networking throughout the entire job
search process — this should be a strong
objective from the very beginning of the
quest for a new position. “Bond with all
interviewers and pick out one or two you
find a connection with — discover who
you know in common,” says Balcom.
“Tell them with the thank you note that
you would like to stay in touch regardless
of how the search works out — and do.”
“Volunteer information and assistance.
Be generous,” Feldman adds. “Often, this
is only possible if the relationship is
already a good one; people trust each
other; you have helped each other and
have been generous right from the get-go.”
Bamman notes that your actions
regarding a rejected offer could have long-lasting
effects and could possibly impact
your success in landing other positions
in the future. “Someone in HR [for the
hiring company] might work for ABC
Company today and might work for other
companies tomorrow. You could be burning
bridges with multiple companies,” says
Bamman. “Some companies won’t consider
a candidate because of something
they did to another company or person.”
Bamman says she has worked with candidates
who have shown unprofessional
behavior and she chooses not to work with
those individuals on future opportunities.
The Future —
and its Opportunities
While the situation can be difficult and
uncomfortable, being open, honest and
professional is, of course, the best way to
conduct yourself if you are declining a job
offer. “I think just the fact that the executive
is being honest about their interest (or
lack of ) in the role shows regard and consideration
for the company and their hiring
process and is a positive reflection on
them and their credibility,” says LaPorte.
“If they handle it correctly, they can show
appreciation for being considered while
leaving the door open to maintain a business
relationship in the future.”
The main objective, obviously, is for
an executive to land in a position that is
truly the right fit for her skills and expertise.
“You want to make a positive career
move, not a desperate move,” says Weiner.
Executives shouldn’t compromise on that.
The fact is executives want to find
a position they can grow with as the
economy rebounds, one that will further
develop their careers as they help their
new organization prosper during the
economic recovery. Bamman says she
sees executives being cautious these days
since they don’t want to find themselves
in a situation where they have made the
wrong decision about accepting a position
and are back in the job market again.
“They don’t want to be a job hopper
since that doesn’t look good on your
résumé,” she says.
Staying true to yourself and your end
goals, while maintaining your best business
behavior will help you eventually
land the role you really seek as well as
build and foster relationships with hiring
managers and recruiters who can serve as
allies along the way. “Regardless of
whether you are working directly with the
company’s HR executive/hiring manager
or through a recruiter, if you are professional,
maintain your value system and
provide honesty in your feedback, you
can look yourself in the mirror and rest
well,” says an ExecuNet member.
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