Making a Job Offer

After you've interviewed the candidates and checked the references of those you're interested in, it's time to make a job offer. An offer may be made over the phone, in person, by mail, or even by e-mail. We recommend that you use the phone so some other employer doesn't snap up your chosen applicant while your written offer is still in the mail.

Provide a reasonable amount of time to decide. Career decisions are significant and almost everyone will want some time to consider your offer, from both economic and personal perspectives. But don't wait so long that your chances of hiring another candidate are placed in jeopardy. A weekend or a few days is usually a reasonable amount of time.

Don't be surprised or offended if your offer is met with a counter-offer. In today’s job market, people increasingly want to bargain in an effort to ensure that they are fairly compensated.

Example

An employee leaving after many years with one business may want to negotiate for more vacation time than you might customarily provide to a new employee. They have become accustomed to the amount of time off their long service has earned them, and may place a significant premium on retaining that particular benefit.

No matter what form the job offer takes, the principle is the same. Don't make promises, or statements that can be construed as promises, that you can't or don't intend to keep. Those statements can sometimes lead to litigation if you later decide to terminate the employee. When a job offer is extended, it should include the following information about the job:

position offered
location
salary (although sometimes salary or benefits must be negotiated before the applicant will accept)
starting date
documents or information that you need on or before the first day of work
date by which the applicant must respond to the offer, so you can move on if your first choice doesn't accept