We’re all excited to receive job offers, especially after investing the time, effort and energy in applying, interviewing and even planning your life based on accepting this offer. That being said, no job is ever perfect, and no offer is ever one that you can’t refuse with apologies to Don Corleone.
The reality is if you’ve done your homework and learned about the company’s ethos along with why or why not something would be a deal breaker. When you’ve arrived at the point of the job offer, you know how and why you want to work for a particular employer. Walking away can be especially tough because of the personal investment of hopes and dreams. The reality is though there are things that are too good to be true, and there are jobs that aren’t worth the trouble you’ve encountered in a negotiation. Always negotiate from a position of strength. This means you should look for a job while having a job, because you can always stay in the position.
Here are the three signs of when to walk away from a job offer:
- Unwilling to Negotiate. Any employer unwilling to negotiate a salary and benefits package is not an employer you want to work for. By refusing to negotiate, they are telling you they view employees as interchangeable parts. This is not a place to work for, because you’re clearly not going to be valued.
- Disrespect in Negotiation. Similar to the point above, if you’re negotiating with a potential employer and they’re diminishing your current position and company, then you know they will do that to you at some point. Don’t negotiate with these people, walk away.
- Unwilling to Meet your Lowest Acceptable Figure. Because you’ve done your research about your position and the marketplace therein, you know what the right offer would be. You also know what you’d accept grudgingly. Don’t go below your bottom figure. You’re showing that you’re willing to sell yourself out, and that will cause the company hiring you not to respect you.
The bottom line is negotiations that end in a place of disrespect reflect a company with a toxic corporate structure. Don’t be a part of that, it’s a bad choice and devalues you as an employee.
