Job offers - can I accept both?
Discussion
)On the basis that you can only do one job, you can only accept one offer.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
sunnyb13 said:
just concluded a final stage interviews for two roles. Both are keen to have me.
company 1 - they want me to join ASAP, they've sent me the offer formally via email yesterday.
company 2 - consulting company, recruiter called saying they are going to speak to HR to get a contract sorted shortly.
Company 1 has a sense or urgency, and pretty much ready to sign. What I don't want to do is lose job offer 2 for whatever reason, then lose out on my job offer 1 too.
Can I just accept both?
Sounds like you want job 2 over job 1. Tell the agent for job 2 you have already received paperwork for job 1. If the agent is half-decent they will give job 2 the hurry up. company 1 - they want me to join ASAP, they've sent me the offer formally via email yesterday.
company 2 - consulting company, recruiter called saying they are going to speak to HR to get a contract sorted shortly.
Company 1 has a sense or urgency, and pretty much ready to sign. What I don't want to do is lose job offer 2 for whatever reason, then lose out on my job offer 1 too.
Can I just accept both?
Don't mess job 1 about, just tell them you're interested and are considering their offer.
When I was teaching, one of the guys that I was in charge of was told that his contract was not going to be renewed. Consequently, he employed a scatter gun approach of applying for any science teaching post he could find. After a couple of unsuccessful interviews, he finally returned to work and told us he had been offered and had accepted, a new post at a school in the next county. We were pleased for him because, despite not being the right fit for us, he seemed like a nice guy.
A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
Mr.Chips said:
When I was teaching, one of the guys that I was in charge of was told that his contract was not going to be renewed. Consequently, he employed a scatter gun approach of applying for any science teaching post he could find. After a couple of unsuccessful interviews, he finally returned to work and told us he had been offered and had accepted, a new post at a school in the next county. We were pleased for him because, despite not being the right fit for us, he seemed like a nice guy.
A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
That is a very public sector scenario.A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
OP - take the advice above, tell job you're considering the offer/reviewing documents and will come back asap. Put pressure on recruiter to hurry up #2 with cards on the table, if you hear nothing take it as a reflection on #2 (and an excuse to potentially get #1 to improve terms)
sunnyb13 said:
just concluded a final stage interviews for two roles. Both are keen to have me.
company 1 - they want me to join ASAP, they've sent me the offer formally via email yesterday.
company 2 - consulting company, recruiter called saying they are going to speak to HR to get a contract sorted shortly.
Company 1 has a sense or urgency, and pretty much ready to sign. What I don't want to do is lose job offer 2 for whatever reason, then lose out on my job offer 1 too.
Can I just accept both?
Where are you in the process for Role 2? Have you agreed a salary and start date and it's just the paperwork you're waiting for? Have they made you a formal offer?company 1 - they want me to join ASAP, they've sent me the offer formally via email yesterday.
company 2 - consulting company, recruiter called saying they are going to speak to HR to get a contract sorted shortly.
Company 1 has a sense or urgency, and pretty much ready to sign. What I don't want to do is lose job offer 2 for whatever reason, then lose out on my job offer 1 too.
Can I just accept both?
BTW I'd take what the Recruiter says with a pinch of salt. It could well be delaying tactics where you are 2nd or 3rd choice but they want to keep you on the hook in case 1st and 2nd choice turn them down. The recruiter wants to maximise their chances of getting the commission.
The reality is that when people are looking to move they will have several irons in the fire. It's happened to me a few times where somebody has changed their mind after accepting an offer (either because their current boss has made them a better offer, or they've had an offer from somebody else). From the Employer's point of view it's just one of those things.
StevieBee said:
On the basis that you can only do one job, you can only accept one offer.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
Don’t act like the company wouldn’t make someone redundant at the drop of a hat if they needed to. What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
How about the aggravation and cost when they lay someone off?
Loyalty to companies shouldn’t exist because it damn well doesn’t get returned.
Please don’t take my point personally.. I am talking about ‘corporate’ culture in general.
Bailing out on a company after you have accepted an offer is generally frowned upon. Some companies have long memories and some in some sectors, you'll be surprised who knows who and how information is informally shared. It also depends on at what point do you intend to bail, verbal agreement is one thing but post contract signing ( where a company is then investing money on lining up equipment, training etc ) is quite another.
kiethton said:
Mr.Chips said:
When I was teaching, one of the guys that I was in charge of was told that his contract was not going to be renewed. Consequently, he employed a scatter gun approach of applying for any science teaching post he could find. After a couple of unsuccessful interviews, he finally returned to work and told us he had been offered and had accepted, a new post at a school in the next county. We were pleased for him because, despite not being the right fit for us, he seemed like a nice guy.
A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
That is a very public sector scenario.A few weeks later, he phoned in one morning to tell us that he wouldn’t be in that day as he was going for a job interview! When he came in the day after, I asked him how it had gone and he said he had been offered and had accepted the job. As his professional mentor, I made it clear that if he had accepted both jobs, he needed to decide which one he wanted and contact the other one to let them know. He assured me that he would, so we left it like that.
First day back from the summer holidays, I got an irate phone call from the headteacher of the first school, asking where his new scientist was! I told him what had happened from our viewpoint and gave him the contact information for my former colleague and his “new” school.
A few days later my former colleague called me, quite upset, having been sacked from his new post for gross misconduct. It turns out that the headteachers of both schools had been in touch with each other and discussed his conduct and, in the end, neither of them wanted someone who could be so duplicitous.
It took him two years of supply work, before any school would touch him for a permanent contract.
OP, make your mind up which one you want and let the other one know asap. As my late Father used to say, “you can’t ride two horses with only one arse!”
Edited by Sheepshanks on Sunday 11th February 10:17
As others have said, I'd take what the recruiter says with a pinch of salt, give them a week to get a solid offer together, if not accept job 1.
I once accepted a job offer whilst being on boarded with another enterprise. I felt terrible, however it was pushing 6 months of being 'onboarded', this gave my current employer time to create a role to be promoted into, which I accepted.
I once accepted a job offer whilst being on boarded with another enterprise. I felt terrible, however it was pushing 6 months of being 'onboarded', this gave my current employer time to create a role to be promoted into, which I accepted.
InformationSuperHighway said:
StevieBee said:
On the basis that you can only do one job, you can only accept one offer.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
Don’t act like the company wouldn’t make someone redundant at the drop of a hat if they needed to. What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
How about the aggravation and cost when they lay someone off?
Loyalty to companies shouldn’t exist because it damn well doesn’t get returned.
Please don’t take my point personally.. I am talking about ‘corporate’ culture in general.
The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
StevieBee said:
InformationSuperHighway said:
StevieBee said:
On the basis that you can only do one job, you can only accept one offer.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
Don’t act like the company wouldn’t make someone redundant at the drop of a hat if they needed to. What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
How about the aggravation and cost when they lay someone off?
Loyalty to companies shouldn’t exist because it damn well doesn’t get returned.
Please don’t take my point personally.. I am talking about ‘corporate’ culture in general.
The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
StevieBee said:
I don't think there's such a thing as general corporate culture. Each company is different.
The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
I assume they would have been on 1 months' notice during probation. What would you have done if they had phoned in sick on Day 1 for a month and simultaneously handed in their notice?The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
I appreciate that every company is different but I've never worked for a company which would incur £9k in liabilities even before an employee has started. I'd genuinely be surprised if any FTSE companies did that. It would be extremely risky (because there's no guarantee they'll turn up or, even if they do, they'll get on with the Company and the Company will get on with them.
Countdown said:
StevieBee said:
I don't think there's such a thing as general corporate culture. Each company is different.
The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
I assume they would have been on 1 months' notice during probation. What would you have done if they had phoned in sick on Day 1 for a month and simultaneously handed in their notice?The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
I appreciate that every company is different but I've never worked for a company which would incur £9k in liabilities even before an employee has started. I'd genuinely be surprised if any FTSE companies did that. It would be extremely risky (because there's no guarantee they'll turn up or, even if they do, they'll get on with the Company and the Company will get on with them.
The costs were accrued from those relating to the lease car, computer, stationery, wasted recruitment costs that had to be repeated and work that was assigned to the person for their first few months had to be subbed out.
The commitment a company makes to a new employee differs according to the role and the company but costs will be incurred regardless - normally following the signing of a contract which is legally binding on both sides.
The confidence we had in this case was justified because the person had been highly receptive and proactive during the recruitment process; even attending a staff 'social' a week before the start date.
In large companies, this behaviour has little effect but is felt very sharply in smaller business where the actions impact on everyone working there.
I have no issue with people keeping their options open and waiting to commitment. What I do have an issue with is someone who accepts an offer, signs a contract and bails out a few days before they are due to start.
Edited by StevieBee on Monday 12th February 14:03
have managed to stall a little for now without formally signing on the dotted line. Still a good 3/4 weeks out for both.
had a screening call on friday with another company that I applied to December. I had no interest to progress with the interview process so said £160k when they asked salary expectations. Surprisingly they said whilst its on the higher end they could make that figure work... dependent on the interviews. WTF.
had a screening call on friday with another company that I applied to December. I had no interest to progress with the interview process so said £160k when they asked salary expectations. Surprisingly they said whilst its on the higher end they could make that figure work... dependent on the interviews. WTF.
StevieBee said:
InformationSuperHighway said:
StevieBee said:
On the basis that you can only do one job, you can only accept one offer.
What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
Don’t act like the company wouldn’t make someone redundant at the drop of a hat if they needed to. What you can do is say to one that you have been offered a job from another company and wish to review their offer before committing.
If they really want you, they will wait.
If they're not willing to wait, then I would suggest they are probably not the best option for you anyway.
There's nothing stopping you accepting both to cover your bases but as an employer who has had this happen to me, I can tell you that the aggravation and cost this incurs the company is considerable and will deny you any opportunity to work for that company in the future. It's not illegal but it should be.
How about the aggravation and cost when they lay someone off?
Loyalty to companies shouldn’t exist because it damn well doesn’t get returned.
Please don’t take my point personally.. I am talking about ‘corporate’ culture in general.
The scenario I described related to a small but growing business I co-owned. Less than £1m turnover. We offered a job to an exceptionally brilliant candidate who was a perfect fit. We upped our offer significantly to secure them which included equity share on performance. They accepted and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about joining us. Contract signed. Lease car arranged and delivered. We sorted a new Lap Top, had business cards printed and informed clients of their imminent arrival. The Friday before the Monday they were due to start we get an email saying that she wouldn't be taking up the position and instead, will be starting a new position at her current employer. We subsequently found out (because her employer also later became a client) that she had accepted both jobs and left it to the last minute to decide which to take.
Worth noting on this is that we looked at whether we could sue them for breach of contract. We could have. The costs we incurred were around £9k so not an insignificant amount. We chose not to because we felt it was more hassle than it was worth.
But I would pose the question.. if you hit financial troubles / lost a key client / needed to cut costs.. you would let this person (Or someone) go to protect the business. It would be hard but you'd do it and it would of course be the right thing to do.
My point being.. why should employees give you any kind of loyalty when none is reciprocated? It isn't a criticism, it's a fact of life that things change, business changes.. revenue comes and goes.. the market is volatile.. you make decisions based on the information you have and that always means being loyal to the continuation of the business not to employees.
This is really what I am getting at when you say 'it isn't illegal but it should be'. The employee owes you no loyalty when the hard truth is that is never returned.
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