Balancing Multiple Offers: How to Juggle an Offer While Waiting for Another
Well, this is a very good problem to have. Congratulations! 🎉 You’ve received multiple job offers! But what happens when the job you really want is still in the hiring process while you’ve got hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven offers waiting for you?
⏱️ TIMING
First, an offer has an expiration. It comes out hot and fresh but will cool down over time.
From the company’s perspective, they have a need, a pain point to relieve: an open requisition (job opening) with work to be done (possibly, piling up as we speak). They want to hire the best candidate for the role, so they recruit and interview several. You are their top pick of the bunch, but if you won’t take the offer, they’ll want to know ASAP, so they can engage the runner up candidate before they get snatched up by another company.
An offer is generally good for about 5* business days at most. By the time your offer has “cooled down”, you might risk jeopardizing your relationship with the company that extended that offer.
*This number can vary depending on the company. Sometimes they’re a bit more lax and will wait a little longer for you. Others will be in a big hurry. That alone could actually be a red flag — find out what’s behind their sense of urgency.
💬 SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
If you have another role cooking in the pipeline that you’re really interested in (perhaps more interested than the one you have an offer for) and that’s close—as in you just need to go through the final round interview or you’re waiting to hear back, reach out to the recruiter ASAP.
Let them know that you’ve received an offer, but you’re holding off because you’re more interested in working for them. Then ask if there’s—depending on the context—an update (from your last interview with them) or any way to schedule that final round interview soon because you need to get back to the first offer by X date.
Some examples below:
Hello! I’d like to follow up on the interview process. I’ve received an offer, but am still more excited at the prospect of working for your company. I need to respond by X date. Can you please update me on next steps and let me know if it would be possible to conduct the final round soon? Thank you!
Hi! Thank you again for setting up the last round of interviews. I’m so excited about the work you’re doing and hope I can join your team. I’m reaching out to see if you have any updates on the hiring process as I’ve received an offer and I need to respond by X date.
If you have a reason as to why you’re actually excited about working for them, I encourage you to include it, so it feels more genuine.
For those who are not far along the interview process with your desired company, you can still try reaching out to see if they’re expedite the process for you, but the chances of that happening are lower unless they’re super excited about you as a candidate.
🏆 A GOOD RECRUITER WILL CHAMPION YOU
Some of my clients have shared with me before that they don’t think the recruiter should know what else is in their pipeline. It’s none of their business. While that’s technically true, relevant information can help the recruiter help you. A good recruiter is a champion for the best candidate. You can read more about this here.
☎️ MAKING A TOUGH CALL
If they respond saying that they can’t expedite the process (maybe the manager is out of the office or they have other candidates in the pipeline that they want to finish interviewing first), but you’re more interested in that role than the one you already have an offer for, you’ll have to make a choice.
🙆 Accept your existing offer
OR
🙅 Decline it to hold out for a chance at the other company
Consider these factors holistically to make your decision:
🏔️ Company mission and product — how important that is to you and what their work means to you
🧬 Team structure & dynamic — will you have the right support to grow your career
🪜 Mobility & growth opportunities within the org — can you move up or around the way you’d like
💰 Compensation — salary, benefits, perks
⚖️ Work life balance & logistics — commute vs remote
Even if you’re eager for a new job, if there’s any chance you think you’ll be seriously unhappy, I strongly recommend declining the offer unless there’s something unique that you really want to get under your belt. We spend more time at work than we do with our families. Make sure it’s the right fit for you, too.
✍️ “IT AIN’T OVER TIL IT’S OVER”
It’s very important to note that you shouldn’t consider your job hunt complete until you have signed a written offer. Until it is documented on paper where it can then be processed and finalized, a verbal is just hearsay. Do not resign until things are signed!
If you’re struggling on getting to the offer stage or how to juggle several offers, I’d be happy to help offer general guidance for free via email.