Career Development
Position Comparison:
How to Evaluate a Job Offer
Accepting the Offer
If everything about the new position is
satisfactory, go ahead and accept the offer. If you're expecting an
offer from a second company, you should let the second company know
about your offer right away, so they can speed up their decision. That
way, you'll avoid jeopardizing one deal for the sake of another.
Once an offer's on the table, it makes common
sense to accept or reject it within a day or so. Otherwise, your
inability to commit will reflect poorly on the way you make decisions;
or it will telegraph your lack of enthusiasm to the new employer. In
either case, you're likely to be bruised by waiting too long.
If you have legitimate concerns, or you still
have questions that need to be answered, now is the time to bring them
up. Rather than tell the employer, "I'll have to think it
over," use the following script:
"Mr. Employer, this job looks very good
to me, and I'm enthusiastic about coming to work for your company. I'll
be in a position to accept your offer and start in two weeks if I can
just clarify a couple of things..."
The answers you get will make your decision for
you, and you'll either accept or reject the company's offer.
If you decide to reject an offer, remember that
it's almost impossible to resurrect the deal at a later date, since the
position will be offered to someone else, or the employer will feel
insulted, and close the door on your candidacy. Whatever you do, make
certain your decision is final.
New Angles and Unusual
Deals
Most deals come together quite cleanly, with
little need for haggling or creative financing. Sometimes, though, it
takes a little imagination to satisfy both parties.
Money can present a problem for employers when
your salary requirements exceed the published range for the position, or
create an inequity within the department. In fact, internal equity
issues (in which your expected salary might be greater than someone on
the staff who has more professional or company seniority) are the cause
of most deals that fail to close for financial reasons.
To satisfy money matters, look for ways to
increase your overall yearly compensation, rather than your annual
salary. Here are a few added goodies you can shoot for to boost your
earnings without ruffling too many feathers:
A sign-on bonus to be paid in cash on your date
of start;
A performance bonus to be paid after thirty, sixty, or ninety days,
assuming your clearly defined goals are met; A discretionary bonus to be
paid in a lump sum, or over a specified period; A generous relocation
bonus to be paid on your date of start to cover expenses (but which can
be spent at your discretion); An accelerated review which would occur
after three or six months, rather than on your first anniversary of
employment, in which your salary would be increased; or an early
participation in the company's bonus, stock purchase, or pension plan;
or other employee benefit program.
When required, companies will sometimes serve
up these tasty morsels to hungry candidates who recognize that overall
compensation consists of more than salary alone.
The craziest deal I ever put together involved
a candidate who'd just purchased a home and was beyond commuting
distance to the interested company. Since the candidate wouldn't sell
his home and relocate, the company president agreed to buy the candidate
(who had a pilot's license) a single engine airplane so he could fly to
work each day. It just goes to show, where there's a will, there's a
way.
Careful evaluation mixed with a little bit
of creativity will help you get the deal you want.
~-~
Position Comparison: How to Evaluate a Job
Offer
> Position Comparison: How to Evaluate
a Job Offer
> Keeping Score
> The Economic
Factor
> Figuring the Bottom Line
> Lay Your Cards on the
Table
> The Porcupine Category
> How an Offer
is Staged
> Accepting the Offer
> New Angles and Unusual Deals |
