Tick tock: Here’s how to delay answering a job offer

After countless hours spent sending out applications and preparing for interviews, finally receiving a job offer should always be a gratifying experience. Regardless of whether or not you choose to accept a given employment proposal, just the fact you were offered the job speaks to your professional acumen and ability to convey that value to others. 

What a job offer should not represent, on the other hand, is a stressful ultimatum. Many professionals feel a surge of anxiety as opposed to relief upon checking their inbox to see a job offer waiting for them. Accepting a new full-time position, of course, is a major call. It’s a decision that will determine how you spend the lion’s share of your time Monday through Friday, after all. 

In other words, it’s natural to feel a bit overwhelmed in the immediate aftermath of a job offer. Many prefer to take some time to consider the proposal, as well as any other career options on the table, before formally accepting or passing on an offer of employment. Unfortunately, popular business culture has proclaimed for quite some time that lucrative job offers are a bit like passing fads; they won’t last long. Nervous job seekers have been conditioned for decades to believe that if they don’t answer with an emphatic YES! within a few hours of receiving an offer, the job will swiftly be passed on to another candidate.

In reality, the proper course of action lies somewhere in the middle. Individual applicants absolutely have the right to take some time and decide what’s best for them. That being said, there is a limit on how long an employer can reasonably be expected to wait. Let’s take a deeper dive into this nuanced and often overlooked aspect of the hiring process.

Remember to prioritize your needs

First and foremost, don’t allow yourself to be pressured into answering before you’re ready. Any company worth its salt knows pushing candidates to accept a job offer immediately is a bad look. In fact, it shouldn’t stress you out at all if an employer insists you provide an answer quickly. In that scenario, they’ve provided justification for you to pass on the offer altogether. If the organization is going to be this pushy about simply producing a speedy answer, chances are actually working there won’t be an enjoyable experience. 

In search of more time

There are plenty of valid reasons a working professional may need more time to consider a job offer. It’s common practice for job seekers to engage with multiple companies simultaneously in pursuit of employment. Maybe you want to hear back from a few other employers. Alternatively, maybe you already have another offer in hand, and just need a few days to compare the proposals and make up your mind. Meanwhile, some positions entail relocating, that’s hardly a decision one should make over the course of an afternoon.

At the end of the business day, your personal reasons for needing a bit more time shouldn’t matter – so long as you keep your request reasonable. Taking a few extra days to mull over a job offer is well within your rights, but an advisable rule of thumb is to never request longer than a week. At that point, organizations are almost always going to begin looking among other candidates. 

Begin with gratitude 

When requesting more time to deliberate, always begin by thanking the organization for formally extending an employment offer in the first place. The idea is to convey that you take the job offer very seriously, and you have no intention of wasting anyone’s time. On a related note, be sure to respond to the offer within 24 hours (unless it’s the weekend). You don’t have to give an official answer initially, but companies will expect you to acknowledge the offer in a fast fashion.  

A few helpful hacks to keep in mind

A roundabout way of inquiring about more time is to ask if there is a deadline to answer the job offer. This approach throws the proverbial ball back to the employer’s court in terms of setting a timeframe for a response. Who knows, perhaps they’ll tell you to take your time and get back to them in a week or so. If the provided deadline is shorter than you would like, ask for an extension.  

Another similar strategy of “buying” more time to consider a job offer without actually asking for an extended timeline entails asking any number of relevant questions about the offered position. Besides providing you with more valuable information you can use to guide your decision, the employer will probably need a day or so at the very least to get back to you. 

You may also want to consider using the job offer as a means of motivation among other potential employers. If you’re waiting to hear back from other companies regarding recent interviews or applications, let them know you’ve just been offered a great job and they’ll need to act quickly if they’re still interested in your services.

Honesty can help

To be clear, you don’t have to be deceptive about your desire for more time. As mentioned earlier, accepting a full-time gig is a big decision for anyone, and hiring managers (should) know that. Informing an organization that has just offered you a job that you’re serious about choosing the absolute best long-term fit, and just need a few extra days (no more than an additional week) to compare competing offers before reaching your final decision, won’t reflect poorly on you at all. If anything, doing so will convey that you are a transparent and honest person.