Get All Access for $5/mo

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

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.

Green Entrepreneur®

6 Ways to Profitably Integrate Eco-Friendly Practices into Your Business

Sustainability efforts can improve operational efficiency, increase customer demand and boost profitability. Here, we highlight six easy ways entrepreneurs and small businesses can capture the financial benefits of sustainability.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.

Business News

A Former Corporate Lawyer Now Makes Six Figures on YouTube — Here's How She Does It

Here are the secrets to starting and growing a successful YouTube channel, according to a YouTuber with millions of subscribers.

Business Culture

You'll Always Have Anxious Employees if You Don't Follow These 4 Leadership Tactics

Creating a thriving workplace environment hinges on the commitment of company leaders to nurture and inspire their teams.