5 (Good) Reasons To Decline A Job Offer
Given the current state of the economy, it might seem ridiculous to even consider turning down a job offer, if you are lucky enough to get one at all. Indeed, most of the experts we contacted said they have become very reluctant to advise anyone to turn down a job these days. According to CNN, it now takes an average of more than 30 weeks to find a job, the highest ever since the Department of Labor began tracking this data in 1948. This makes it very tempting to jump at the first thing that comes along. However, even in today’s job climate, there are still some reasons to consider declining that offer.
1. The company may be financially shaky.
If anything is worse than not having a job, it’s landing a job and then finding out a few weeks later that the company is going belly up.
“A candidate should know about the financial stability of the firm,” says Tom Gimbel, president and CEO of The LaSalle Network, a professional staffing and recruiting company in Chicago.
“If it’s public, do your research. If it’s private, ask that question in the interview. If the firm is struggling, the hiring team is not being forthcoming about information and there is no plan in place, perhaps you might want to keep looking.”
2. The interview process is extremely long or disorganized.
Often, the interview process can be a good indicator of how the company operates in general.
“If it takes more than a couple of weeks and three or four interviews for the employer to make an offer, that could be a sign of faulty decision making on the employer’s part,” says Bruce A. Hurwitz, Ph.D., president and CEO of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing in New York City.
“If they can’t make a decision about you, or if it feels like every employee in the company is being given a say in the hiring process, how will they be able to make effective business decisions? It’s usually a sign that they don’t have their act together.”
3. You have a bad “gut feeling”.
“Job candidates should listen to their gut when considering any job offer and turn it down if something doesn’t feel right, whether it’s the environment, the people, the culture, or the setting,” says Donna Cardillo, RN, author of “The Ultimate Career Guide for Nurses” (2008).
Cardillo says most people who ignore their instincts and take a job anyway usually end up regretting it later. Cardillo says red flags may include getting negative feelings from the interviewer, noticing a high stress level among current staff, office chatter about “all the upheaval” in the department or reports of a high turnover rate.
4. The money is below your absolute minimum.
Sure, it’s unrealistic today to expect the generous salaries that were common just a few years ago – but you still need to earn enough to pay your bills. Frances Cole Jones, author of “The Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today’s Business World” (2010), says prior to the interview, you should have a “walk-away number” in your head. This is the absolute rock-bottom figure you can accept. Jones says this figure must be based on facts – such as the amount you need to pay for rent, groceries and other expenses – and not based on emotional factors, such as what you feel you “deserve.”
“Figuring things out in this way ensures candidates remain factual during their salary negotiation,” Jones says. “Plus, if they can say, ‘I’ve done the math and I simply can’t support myself/my family on that number,’ it helps them make their case for a higher offer.”
5. It goes against your principles, moral values or lifestyle choices.
Even in tough financial times, it’s not worth selling your soul for a paycheck, says Laurent Duperval, president of Duperval Consulting in Montreal, Canada. Duperval advises job seekers to stay away from positions or employers that conflict with their core values. “If you’re a vegetarian, don’t go work for a meat packer. Period.”
The Bottom Line
Times are tough, and it is impractical (not to mention very risky) to hold out for the perfect job at the perfect company. But that doesn’t mean you should accept any job offer you get, no matter what. Set some basic ground rules and use common sense, and you should have an easier time deciding whether to accept an offer or keep looking.
source: Investopedia
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In: Job Search Advice · Tagged with: Business Decisions, Ceo, Climate, Cnn, Current State, Department Of Labor, Economy, Financial Stability, Find A Job, Find Job, Gimbel, Gut Feeling, Hiring Process, Hiring Team, Hurwitz, Lasalle, New York City, Recruiting Company, Strategic Staffing, Turning Down A Job Offer
Why You Can Never Have Too Much Interview Preparation
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In: Job Search Advice · Tagged with: Interview Preparation, Salary Information
HP CEO, Mark Hurd, Resigns
HP CEO Mark Hurd has resigned, leaving CFO Cathie Lesjak to run the company on an “interim basis.” The reason for quitting? He was told to leave by legal counsel due to an investiagtion of sexual harassment against him by an outside contractor. According to the press release, “the investigation determined there was no violation of HP’s sexual harassment policy, but did find violations of HP’s Standards of Business Conduct.”
Hurd said: “As the investigation progressed, I realized there were instances in which I did not live up to the standards and principles of trust, respect and integrity that I have espoused at HP and which have guided me throughout my career. After a number of discussions with members of the board, I will move aside and the board will search for new leadership. This is a painful decision for me to make after five years at HP, but I believe it would be difficult for me to continue as an effective leader at HP and I believe this is the only decision the board and I could make at this time. I want to stress that this in no way reflects on the operating performance or financial integrity of HP.”
HP also announce preliminary third quarter financials. They are up 11% compared to the same quarter last year with revenue of about $32.7 billion. Sexual harassment cases notwithstanding, at least Hurd raised the company out of the doldrums this year and spearheaded the Palm acquisiton.
Compensation
In 2008, Hurd’s total compensation was $33,952,237, including a base salary of $1,450,000, stock award of $7,907,660, cash bonus of $23,931,882, and $662,695 in perquisites and other compensation. It was the largest bonus of any CEO in 2008, although Hurd himself implemented wage freeze on the employees.
In 2009, Hurd made a total of $24,201,448, including a base salary of $1,268,750, stock award of $6,648,092, cash bonus of $15,809,414 and $475,192 in benefits and other compensation. Hurd said he believes in what he calls “pay for performance”, such that employees have a substantial part of their salaries “at-risk”, which gets paid only when the company’s performance measures up.
sources: Wikipedia and CrunchGear
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In: Business Stories · Tagged with: 192, Base Salary, Business Conduct, Cash Bonus, Ceo Mark, Doldrums, Effective Leader, Financial Integrity, Hp Ceo, Hp Hp, Instances, Interim Basis, Legal Counsel, Lesjak, Mark Hurd, Painful Decision, Quarter Financials, Sexual Harassment Cases, Sexual Harassment Policy, Wage Freeze
