How to Gracefully Decline a Job Offer

Congratulations! You finally got that job offer! 

After a long interview, you’ve finally received the acceptance letter from the company you applied to. The only thing that you need to do at this point is to sign the offer letter and get onboarded.

However, before you sign that letter, it’s important to keep certain things in mind. One essential thing you must understand is that there are times when the best thing to do to advance your career is to say no. Sure, you’ve waited a long time to land a professional role, but in some cases, it’s really not meant to be.

In this article, Kalibrr has compiled a complete and comprehensive guide on declining job offers!

Reasons to decline a job offer

It’s definitely not a once-in-a-blue-moon scenario when candidates don’t sign job offers. At the end of the day, every job seeker is different and what they’re looking for in their work varies as well. Just because a job offer seems like the “perfect” deal, doesn’t mean that it would lead to a signed contract. That being said, these are the most common reasons why job seekers decline job offers:

Unprofessional interviewer

As a job seeker, you should always come prepared in your interview. It’s expected of you to have researched the company — their values, their goals, and their mission and vision and prepared a list of things you want to mention in your responses. 

However, most job seekers fail to realize that interviews are a two-way process. Not only is the interview needed for the company to know more about you; but it’s also helpful for the candidate as you’ll be able to find more about them as well. 

That being said, recruiters themselves also have to prepare for interviewing candidates. They have to list down the interview questions beforehand, read the candidate’s resumé, and many more. There are also times when recruiters are simply rude! 

These recruiters are your first interaction with the company. If it’s already a bad experience for you from the onset, you should definitely think twice about accepting that job offer.

Low compensation

One important thing to prepare for in job interviews is to search about the industry’s salary range. This is vital because you want to receive the appropriate compensation for your work. Remember that you will be spending a considerable amount of time every day working for this company, so you need to ensure that you’re paid well.

However, aside from the compensation, you also have to consider the benefits you will be receiving. These benefits include healthcare, paid vacation leaves, employee growth and training, and many more. 

If the job offer doesn’t include good benefits and pay, then it’s time to reconsider.

Better offer from another company

It happens more frequently than you think: you thought you found the right job opportunity when the other company you applied to just sent you an email containing how they think you’re the best candidate for the role. You opened the offer letter and you realized that this job is a better fit for you. This certainly is a valid reason for you to decline the previous job company’s offer.

However, this is definitely not an easy decision to make. There are instances where you’ve already given your verbal or written agreement to another company, and it will be quite tricky to rescind your acceptance. Thus, you need to think twice about your actions when you’re in this situation carefully.

Steps to declining a job offer

If you’ve decided to make the jump and decline a job offer, it’s important to follow certain steps so as not to burn any bridges. The last thing you want to do is to damage your reputation by being unprofessional. It’s best to be honest and genuine with your reasons. What’s even more important is that you relay your intent to decline to your recruiter as soon as possible!

In sending out that email, make sure to include the following:

Intent

The first part of your email should be the statement that you’re declining the job offer. Be succinct and straightforward. Do not beat around the bush to avoid wasting the recruiter’s time.

Reason

The next part should contain your reasons for saying no. Remember the importance of honesty. Be transparent about your reasons so as not to leave the recruiter in the dark! 

Apology

Make sure to send your apologies to your recruiter. This is so you won’t sound unprofessional!

Openness

Lastly, you should write about how you’re willing to stay in touch. This is so you could maintain a good professional relationship with the recruiter and the company even if you won’t be accepting their offer.

To help you out, you could refer to this email example:

“Dear [Recruiter],

Thank you so much for the opportunity you have given me to work as a  [job title here] at [company name here]. I truly appreciate the time and effort you put in during the whole hiring process. I have enjoyed learning more about what [company name here] has to offer.

Unfortunately, I have come to the decision that I have to decline this job offer. This is because [insert reason here].

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused. Again, thank you so much for your time and effort. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and I hope to cross paths with you again in the future.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely, 

[Your name here]”

These are some of the things to keep in mind so you could gracefully decline that job offer. Remember that you shouldn’t feel guilty about anything — this isn’t personal. You’re simply doing this for you and your career goals! 

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