By Helen Harris
In Brief: (1) Before reaching out to the hiring manager or contact of the job you declined, you should first consider how and why you turned down the offer. (2) From there, you can carefully consider how you will approach the conversation. Opt for a phone call or video call so you can genuinely express your interest in the position, as well as explain what has changed. (3) Lastly, consider that there may be certain areas you can negotiate — but try to avoid salary. And regardless of whether the offer is still on the table, always remember the value of your skills and experience.
You are thrilled when you receive two job offers. Both offer great salaries, a flexible work schedule and excellent benefits. However, you must choose one. So, you decide based on which seems to be the best fit.
Things should be great, but within the first two weeks, you realize the position is not at all what was described throughout the interview process. You want to revisit the job you declined. But is it too late?
Not if you first revisit how and why you turned down the job — and then carefully consider how you approach the hiring manager.
Revisit how and why you initially turned the job down
Before you send an email, pick up the phone or even step into the office, you need to take a step back and think about the “why.” Why did you turn down the offer? And after that, how did you turn down the offer?
With so many steps involved in the job-application process, it can be easy to ignore one crucial step: how to politely decline a job offer. This step is so critical because by keeping those connections strong and by being a candidate who is graceful throughout the interview process, you will have more of an advantage if you ever decide to revisit that company or position.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) builds on this point, explaining that it's always important to be gracious in the workplace, especially when turning down a job offer — and that you should view all work interactions as an opportunity to build rapport to expand your professional network. Additionally, the source reports that the best way to turn down a job offer is to first verbally express your response to the recruiter or hiring manager, and then put it in writing. The written response should be professional and polite and include a brief statement for the reason you are declining. Some additional tips from SHRM for declining a job offer include the following:
“It’s so much about the ‘how’ as opposed to the ‘why.’ My guidance to job seekers would be to No. 1, decline with grace. Because if you're a jerk about it, you forever close that door. Manage conversations in a way that doesn't shut the door but rather lets it be reopened in the future because things are fluid.”
— Ed Han is a tech-savvy recruiter at Cenlar FSB and talent acquisition geek with a knack for connecting the dots for culture as well as skill fit. Whether using behavioral techniques, clearly communicating requirements or understanding hiring manager priorities, he is passionate about candidate experience and best practices.
After you’re past the “how” aspect, you need to approach the “why.” Why did you turn down the job offer? Was the salary too low? Was there too much travel involved? Was the role just an ill fit?
All of the above might be deal breakers for that position and you, so you should think hard about casting your candidacy back in the ring if you aren’t 100% invested.
However, there could be exceptions.
For example, let’s say the travel schedule was previously an issue because of your young children but now you have a full-time nanny and feel comfortable with that requirement. All other aspects of the job were a great match for you, so you decide to contact the hiring manager again and explain that the travel is no longer an issue and see if the job is still open.
Consider how you will approach the hiring manager
Once you decide you want to be considered again for the job you declined, you need to reach out as soon as possible to the contact you were in touch with. Because, as The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) explains, the longer you delay, the more time they have to offer your position to the next candidate in line.
Reach out with a phone call: Before sending an email, consider reaching out directly with a phone call to the person with whom you had your interview. This will show that you are serious about being considered again for the position and will give you a chance to explain what has changed to make you want to reconsider the position. Chron. also notes that during this follow-up interview, you should be proactive and explain your reason for declining the job head-on. For example, you might state that you were taking care of an ill parent or spouse, experienced an unexpected temporary relocation out of the area, received a better salary offer from another employer or that you just weren’t prepared to accept the offer.
“The best thing by far to do is have a real-time conversation, and if that means that you need to do it in person, that's great. But at the very least do a voice or video call if those options are available. You want to engage every tool that is available to you, and body language is a huge piece of that. There's an entire piece of the human anatomy in our brains that is devoted to understanding and recognizing faces — it's called the fusiform gyrus. To leverage that, you want to establish a human connection with another person, especially when you're asking them to do something that they may not necessarily be inclined to do.”
— Ed Han
Be prepared for the tough questions: And once you have made contact and have a dialogue going, you should expect that hiring manager or contact to ask you why you are revisiting this position or what has changed for you, and it’s completely fair for them to ask.
While this is a nerve-wracking question, remain confident, be honest and continue to express your sincere interest in the position.
The WSJ additionally advises professionals to inspire confidence in the initially rejected employer by being confident in their decision and being clear on their motivations to reconsider the position. For example, the source notes that when you're asked why you changed your mind, you might state that you have since learned things about the company that makes the opportunity more attractive. This will help them better understand your change of heart, especially if your original rejection was gracious and professional. Chron. adds that you might explain that you were taking care of an ill parent or spouse, had an unexpected or temporary relocation out of the area, received a better salary offer from your current employer, or simply weren’t prepared at the time to accept an offer.
“As you would in the interview, always try to bring the conversation back to a positive aspect. Speak to one or two key things that appeal to you about the role — such as the company’s culture, or the opportunity to work with an innovative product or technology — and emphasize those as reasons you decided to reconsider. Taking the extra time to reconsider an offer might clue you into something you didn't think of previously, or cause you to shift priorities around what's most important to you in a role.”
— Dana Leavy-Detrick is an executive resume writer, personal brand strategist and career consultant. Dana is the director and founder of Brooklyn Resume Studio, a personal branding agency and resume-writing firm in New York City. She leads a team of career experts and brand strategists recognized for industry-leading resume, design and brand development work. She has 15 years of recruiting, consulting and HR experience and advises clients on strategies for successfully navigating the most competitive job markets and maximizing their earning potential.
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Remain confident in your skills and value — and make sure the job is a right fit
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the job and company are the right fit for your unique set of skills and what you value in a company. Unless you have changed your mind about certain aspects of the position or the company is willing to negotiate those aspects, it is probably in your best interest to pursue other opportunities.
In some cases, you might be able to negotiate certain terms when you revisit a job you declined: Chron. expands on this, explaining that your circ*mstances might have changed or might have lowered your expectations, but if the company is not able or willing to modify its conditions — you’ll know. This is why it’s important to know what aspects to avoid negotiating, and this often depends on the scope of the role. But, most always, salary is off the table for negotiation when you’re coming back to a job you declined.
“The one thing I would really stress is not to bring money into it. Because they may think if you're settling for the second job, that you're still looking for a better-paying job in the interim. So you really don't want to bring money into it because companies tend to think that you'll just leave at the first chance you get better pay.”
— Erin Kennedy is a career storyteller who rewrites executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles to place candidates in six- and seven-figure roles quickly. Kennedy is also a Forbes & Jobscan Top Followed Expert as well as “Top Exec’s Secret Weapon.” She earned her bachelor of science in human resources from Oakland University.
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Meet the experts
Dana Leavy-Detrick is an executive resume writer, personal brand strategist and career consultant. Dana is the director and founder of Brooklyn Resume Studio, a personal branding agency and resume writing firm in New York City. She leads a team of career experts and brand strategists recognized for industry-leading resume, design and brand development work. She has 15 years of recruiting, consulting and HR experience and advises clients on strategies for successfully navigating the most competitive job markets and maximizing their earning potential.
Ed Han is a tech-savvy recruiter at Cenlar FSB and talent acquisition geek with a knack for connecting the dots for culture as well as skill fit. Whether using behavioral techniques, clearly communicating requirements or understanding hiring manager priorities, he is passionate about candidate experience and best practices.
Erin Kennedy is a career storyteller who rewrites executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles to place candidates in six- and seven-figure roles quickly. Kennedy is also a Forbes & Jobscan Top Followed Expert as well as “Top Exec’s Secret Weapon.” She earned her bachelor of science in human resources from Oakland University.
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