"How To Decline A Job Offer" Tips You Need To Learn Now.

So, you have been trying too hard to find the right job. It so happens that you find the next best job, but not the one that fits your bill. Tired of many job interviews and constant hunting; you accept an offer in hand. Cause you simply do not realize your potential. You felt that the clock is ticking faster for you. So you appeared for that job interview. You got selected. You negotiated the best offer. You got the role improvised. You chose to fit in. But oh wait! Whatever be the reasons, you finally realized that this is not what you are looking for. Now, what will you do to politely decline that job offer? Because you do not want this rejection to look unprofessional and hampering your future opportunities.

Here’s a look at the best ways to do the right thing in the right way.

1. Politeness is the key.

First things first – be polite. Be professional. Avoid nay saying words such as “I do not want to”. Rather stick to “Unfortunately, I may not be able to” Definitely avoid expressing your dilemma about the choice that you thought was right. Make sure that you do not give away the impression that you “don’t need” this job. Stress on how you are not the right candidate who’d make justice to this job. And there may be better choices above you. You could give references for the post. After all, extra efforts might help the employer to find the right replacement in a very short period. Works like a win-win? ;)

2. Are you legally bound by a contract?

This is where the real catch is. Was there any kind of employment agreement that you had to sign as an offer acceptance? Was it a time-bound contract? If yes, then you are legally obligated to work for the company for the stipulated amount of time. The position needs to be filled in and the resignation needs to be done in a very systematic and legal fashion. Companies have a policy of specified time duration for an employee to serve the notice period depending on the work responsibility handled by you during your tenure with the company. Generally, the notice period is between 15 days to 60 days. There is a way out to save you from all the hassle by communicating with the hiring manager. They might just choose to terminate the contract rather than investing all the training and hiring efforts in the person who will choose to drop his papers at the first chance he gets.

If you are not bound by a legal contract and the acceptance was not following any consequences then you are good to go with your refined words.

3. Show gratitude.

Gratitude much? One would ask why? Why should you show gratitude in an offer rejection? Because a lot of effort has gone into short listing the right CV to screening the whole process and actually landing the right candidate for the hiring manager. You were chosen for this position with a lot of back-end work involved that you might never know.

Of course, there are people who are doing their job to get you the job. The minute you were chosen for this job, their efforts were finally put to a conclusive end. They had found their right candidate. The least you could do is show gratitude and appreciate their efforts in investing all their time in you.

4. Make them understand

Make them understand “WHY”. For all the efforts that went out in finding your CV to interviewing you and hiring you, there is a chain of people involved in making this happen. It is always important to make the hiring manager understand why you are not in a position to continue with their offer after you proactively participated in attending the interviews lined up for you and accepted the offer after all the negotiations and discussions related to this job offer. The hiring managers deserve to know why you are backing out whether it is a better offer or a different choice altogether. You need to give them a reason and tell them why you won’t be able to pursue the job. They may try to negotiate a little further just to avoid the whole hiring process from scratch. Make sure that you are prepared with answers for such situations that may be something you did not expect.

5. Understand!

Understand “WHAT” could be the outcome of you putting forward an offer rejection. Communication is the key here. Your approach matters. How you communicate your message in a very sensible and professional way matters a lot. There may be a possibility that you may cross paths again. It is quite possible that you may be rejecting an offer from someone who in the future could have shared your experience with their peers and that may impact your future endeavors. It is best to practice a formal and professional way of conveying the reason as it may help you maintain a positive relationship with the hiring manager. This, in turn, might influence your future job - one that could be your dream job!

6. Choose the proper template.

An email is the best choice to communicate, as it gives you time to frame your words in the right way and not miss out on an important point to be added. It is considered the most formal methods of communication.

Here is the sample of email communication that you could rely on:

Dear Mr/Ms. [Last Name],

Thank you very much for offering me the position of [mention position] with [company name]. I really appreciate the offer and your interest in hiring me.

Unfortunately, I may not be able to take up the job offer because [reasoning for rejection]

I appreciate the offer of employment and your consideration. Thank you for such a pleasant interviewing experience.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Phone Number]