A Guide To Respectfully Declining A Job Offer

Applying for jobs can be an extremely stressful and tiring process. All of the waiting and uncertainty could drive anybody insane. However, fielding job offers can be even more stressful and tiring.

Not knowing how to properly decline a job offer so that you don’t burn any bridges is not something that we are taught in school, and it can cause a lot of anxiety if you’re doing it for the first time ever.

We’re here to make that process a little easier on you with this guide on how to decline a job offer politely.

Final Checks

If you have received multiple job offers, go through them all and decide which ones will work best for you. Take those and narrow them down further until you have decided which job you will be taking and which jobs you will be declining.

Ensure that you have weighed the pros and cons of each job and that the pros of the job that you take far outweigh the cons. Doing this will ensure that you can work in the position happily for a long time.

No Delays

Once you have decided which jobs you will be declining, it is important to act quickly and tell the employer that you will not be taking the job. Letting them know early on will allow them more time to find somebody else.

It would be best if you didn’t simply disappear to the hiring officer. Doing this could potentially burn bridges and is extremely unprofessional. It would be best if you always declined a job offer so that the company knows that you are not interested.

Phone-In

You have probably had a formal interview with the company if they offer you the position, which means that you have built some kind of relationship with the hiring officer and the company itself.

For this reason, it is better that you decline the job offer over the phone. You can send a polite email, but it is far better to phone in so that the process seems more personal and you can explain your stance properly.

Be Appreciative

You might not want to take the job, but it is important to let the company know that you are grateful that you were considered for the position that was being offered. Doing this will show the company that you are a gracious person and can be considered for future roles.

When you phone or email the company to let them know that you will not be taking the job, they start by thanking them for interviewing you and consider you for the position. You can also thank them for their time.

Tell Them Why

Any company will be curious about why you are turning down their job offer, especially if you seemed to be the perfect candidate for the job. It is only polite for you to tell them why you are declining the job offer.

You do not have to be specific; in fact, it is better to be vague. You can state simply that your working styles are too different or looking for something different from what they are offering.

Offer To Stay In Touch

If your main goal throughout the job rejection process was not to burn any bridges, you could offer to stay in touch with the company for any future positions that might work for you. Doing this will ensure that they keep you in mind.

Ensure that you tell the company what future positions you may be interested in and offer to keep in touch with them about such positions as time goes on. You will build a relationship with the company and have potential jobs lined up for the future.