How To Politely Turn Down a Job Offer The way you turn down an offer says a lot about your professionalism and there are ways of doing it with grace and poise

By Ashutosh Dabral

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Turning down a job offer could be difficult for the simple fact that you and the company have invested a lot of time and effort in the process. In some cases, you may have already started discussions with the new team on initiatives you would be involved with. Now it may feel awkward to decline the offer after crossing the finish line.

There could be multiple reasons for declining an offer – You have received another offer or multiple offers now and wish to go for the best one while declining the others. You discovered something about the role, company, future manager that made you reconsider the decision. Or your current company did something to retain you and you decided to stay back. Whatever be your reason for not accepting the offer, here are some tips on how to go about it:

1. Be prompt with your refusal - Procrastinating about telling the company does not help. It wastes both yours and the company's time and it looks unprofessional. Do not wait until the last moment to drop in your letter so that both you and the company could move forward. In many cases, the candidates tell the company on the day of joining or worse still just don't show up and give some generic excuse when contacted. There would be very rare scenarios that you make up your mind on the day of joining. To be fair to the company and let them know as soon as possible

2. Be brief and diplomatic - The reason for your refusal could be anything, be it less than satisfactory compensation, a different position than you wished for, or something else. You can choose not to reveal the exact reason and just say you have decided to stay back at your company or accepted another opportunity. Companies understand this as they know people do look for multiple opportunities simultaneously. This also avoids bitterness over issues like low compensation. But do understand that the recruiter/hiring manager was counting on you to join and this change in plan is going to affect them and not you. So even if the other party gets angry/irritated you should be as diplomatic as possible.

3. Be respectful and express gratitude - Even though you have chosen to decline the offer, the fact is that they did offer you a position in their firm. Thank them for their time and their consideration. This simple show of courtesy goes a long way in establishing your own professional credentials. It also leaves a door open for future employment opportunities with the employer. Some firms like Google might even allow you to skip the telephone screening rounds if you had an offer from them in the last few years and are applying again.

4. Try to Stay connected - Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn. This helps in two ways: firstly, it helps to foster connections which may be helpful in future and secondly, they might approach you again if they find a position suitable to your exact needs.

5. Send an email – After you have a face to face or phone conversation with the hiring team also send an email. It makes the recruiter/hiring manager's life also a little easier as there is no ambiguity that you are holding on for more salary negotiation etc. A polite and courteous behaviour is the hallmark of a true professional and it will hold you in good stead even when you are refusing an offer. The aim is to have a productive conversation with a company and if declining an offer is part of that conversation then that could be done graciously as well.

Ashutosh Dabral

Co-founder & CEO, Hush

Science & Technology

How 'Digital Immortality' Is Creating New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs — and What to Consider Before Diving In

AI is transforming grief tech into growth tech, turning digital legacies into powerful tools of influence for brands and entrepreneurs.

Business News

President Donald Trump Extends TikTok Ban Deadline Again. Here's What We Know About Who's Buying the App.

President Trump delayed the TikTok ban deadline for another 90 days, until December 16, though the "framework" of a deal has been reached.

Business News

Alphabet Just Achieved a Feat That Only 3 Other Companies in History Have Reached

Google's parent company, Alphabet, hit the $3 trillion milestone on Monday, joining the ranks of Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growing a Business

They Built Their First Restaurant With Their 'Bare Hands.' Now They Have 380 Locations.

Ted Xenohristos, co-founder of Cava, grew one restaurant into a national brand through hospitality, culture and purpose-driven growth.

Side Hustle

His Salty Side Hustle Saw Revenue 'From Day 1' and Hit $10 Million Last Year

Seth Goldstein, 29, and his friend Steven Rofrano got their business idea after a snack break in Miami.