Several Interviews/One offer=What would you do?

Here is the situation. Say you have interviewed with several hiring managers but only one has made you an offer and is waiting on your answer to accept/decline but you know the others were very interested in you and said they would get back to you soon. At this time do you accept the offer and forget the others or call the others back and say you have an offer and they need to let you know now if they were planning on making you an offer?

Sometimes too many opportunities can really complicate things!

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush... I have waited as long as 9 months for someone to get back to me, and I have waited over a year to get back to someone. There is a lot of behind the scenes things that are going on that you wont ever see. Maybe these other managers are fighting for their budget, or waiting on an approval to hire that might not come. It happens all the time.

jsb said:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush... I have waited as long as 9 months for someone to get back to me, and I have waited over a year to get back to someone. There is a lot of behind the scenes things that are going on that you wont ever see. Maybe these other managers are fighting for their budget, or waiting on an approval to hire that might not come. It happens all the time.

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I understand, but I would like to know I am making a good decision. The one offered may not be the best choice. It would suck to accept one then a week later be offered the other. I would not want to quit and burn bridges. If I could only know the offer was in the process maybe I could wait or maybe they would rush it under the circumstance? Maybe they could just say "Ok, we were going to offer you $XX,XXX if that helps". I don't want to sound pushy either.

Right now no offers but several promising phone calls/emails/interviews set up all happening at the same time. I was just wondering if anyone would mention the offer to the other managers so they know you are about to make a move. If they really want you they may be glad you let them know, right?

So yeah it's hard to really give you an answer on this Jgln. If it's a job you really could see yourself doing I don't see why you shouldn't just take it. It's hard to just say I'll wait to hear back from the other places, because like Jsb said they may never get back with you. In that happening you may miss out on the offer that you have. But this is a decision you'll really need to sit down, and think about to decide what your going to do.

Personally, if I needed a job, I would take the offer. If another offer does get made then you have a decision to make. But as of right now, it sounds like a no-brainer.

jgln said:

...I was just wondering if anyone would mention the offer to the other managers so they know you are about to make a move. If they really want you they may be glad you let them know, right?

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If I'm the hiring manager I would appreciate the opportunity to compete for you...if I wanted you. I'd contact them and tell them you're still interested in the prospects of a relationship with them...but have other offers on the table and didn't want to make a decision without talking to them one more time.

If they want you...they'll tell you. If they don't, at least you know and can make a clean decision to take the other offer.

Nothing wrong IMO to call the others and let them know to "**** or get off the pot, so to speak."

I was in a similar spot once. I interviewed at five different places within two days. The place that I liked the least offered me the job at $X rate of pay before I even left the interview. I simply asked how long that offer was good for - basically asking how soon they wanted to move on hiring anyone. I was told that I was the only candidate that they interviewed who fit the job requirements so it was as long as necessary. I told them that I would take their offer into consideration and would get back to them within a week. Three days later, my second favorite called and offered me a job at a higher rate of pay, so I was able to politely decline the initial offer without burning bridges. I figured that was the most professional way of handling that situation.

Thanks, I think the idea to contact the other managers is what I will do should I be in that situation. So far I have one interview set up next week and the other in the process, both good jobs (pay is unknown though) and both conversations with the managers on the phone or by email have been very casual and personal so I think contacting them about other offers should be fine if that happens.

I got a pre-offer job offer (Meaning they said they wanted me but couldn't make an offer at that time) and 2 weeks later I hired in somewhere else. Then when they called to offer the job they were disappointed that I went somewhere else.

WTF?

Same thing. They should have been up front and say we will offer something ASAP if they were seriously interested. I wonder if they had someone else in mind and they deal fell through. And I, as the backup plan, also fell through. Just speculation.

Like they say, "Sht or get off the pot."

Homercidal said:

I got a pre-offer job offer (Meaning they said they wanted me but couldn't make an offer at that time) and 2 weeks later I hired in somewhere else. Then when they called to offer the job they were disappointed that I went somewhere else.

WTF?

Same thing. They should have been up front and say we will offer something ASAP if they were seriously interested. I wonder if they had someone else in mind and they deal fell through. And I, as the backup plan, also fell through. Just speculation.

Like they say, "Sht or get off the pot."

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+1 I was a hiring manager once and that is how I did it too. You keep the others waiting while you try and get the other on board, you know drug test, background check, etc then if that one falls through the others still think they were the #1 pick.

Homercidal said:

I got a pre-offer job offer (Meaning they said they wanted me but couldn't make an offer at that time) and 2 weeks later I hired in somewhere else. Then when they called to offer the job they were disappointed that I went somewhere else.

WTF?

Same thing. They should have been up front and say we will offer something ASAP if they were seriously interested. I wonder if they had someone else in mind and they deal fell through. And I, as the backup plan, also fell through. Just speculation.

Like they say, "Sht or get off the pot."

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I had the same thing happen to me way earlier in my career. I had a friend who was working at the place I had interviewed. He said they hired some guy who was clearly overqualified for the job and had no interest in it, who then left a week later when he got a better offer. Then when they called me back and asked me to work for them I told them no way.


Of course at my company we had the opposite happen. We hired a guy who was set to start in a week and he just never showed up. Didn't call or anything. We heard through the grapevine he got another offer and decided to take it.

BierMuncher said:

If I'm the hiring manager I would appreciate the opportunity to compete for you...if I wanted you. I'd contact them and tell them you're still interested in the prospects of a relationship with them...but have other offers on the table and didn't want to make a decision without talking to them one more time.

If they want you...they'll tell you. If they don't, at least you know and can make a clean decision to take the other offer.

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+1000 to this.

And to the OP, what line of work are you in that you have multiple prospects? I'm sending dozens of resumes a week and haven't heard a peep in nearly a year. (luckily still gainfully employed, just looking for a beneficial change)

It's the day before a holiday weekend before a holiday weekend. Tell them you need to think about it and discuss with your family over the holidays.

Mischief_Brewing said:

+1000 to this.

And to the OP, what line of work are you in that you have multiple prospects? I'm sending dozens of resumes a week and haven't heard a peep in nearly a year. (luckily still gainfully employed, just looking for a beneficial change)

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Currently telecommunications and formerly aerospace, started out before that in electronics fixing circuit boards for computers. For some strange reason oppertunities are opening up that I never saw before. Maybe I was not looking hard enough? My company actually asked me to stay on for a few more months so I agreed not knowing if I will be offered a job somewhere else. Unemployment just won't cut it for me. The other problem is I know I need to move on so if offered a good position I will take it and no doubt lose 11 years of severance pay if I leave before my NEXT layoff date. But that is life, you never know what is going to happen next.

mcarb said:

It's the day before a holiday weekend before a holiday weekend. Tell them you need to think about it and discuss with your family over the holidays.

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No offers yet, just all of a sudden phone calls and emails with great interest in me after months of nothing. Maybe they are calling from the company Christmas party??

It is happening, I got a first interview last week, a call this morning to set up an interview next week (different company) and then another call for a second interview later this week. I am going to see what happens on the second interview before I mention anything to the other hiring manager. They may take some time to decide on making me an offer or not or maybe not even choose me.

This is very stressful but I guess I should not be complaining. I have been keeping an eye out for jobs since last summer and nothing, not even openings and now this. To top it off my company has extended my employment confusing me more. I am not being too optimistic, that is how I am, I may wind up with nothing anyway. That is why I decided to stay on here.

What would you tell the manager who offered you a job? Just say you need time to think about it? Be honest and tell him someone else is interested in you and need to discuss it with them? The other position is in management which usually pays more (depends on the company of course) but it is a less stable company, but that is why I would want to know what the salary range is so I can make a decision I am not second guessing on. If their choice to pick me was marginal asking to think about it may make them rethink it as well. I guess I just need to go with the flow and relax and not get overly stressed about it.

No, telling them that others are interested is not bad. It makes you look valuable.

jgln said:

What would you tell the manager who offered you a job? Just say you need time to think about it? Be honest and tell him someone else is interested in you and need to discuss it with them? The other position is in management which usually pays more (depends on the company of course) but it is a less stable company, but that is why I would want to know what the salary range is so I can make a decision I am not second guessing on. If their choice to pick me was marginal asking to think about it may make them rethink it as well. I guess I just need to go with the flow and relax and not get overly stressed about it.

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Never overshare. Your reasons for needing time to respond to the offer are your reasons. Nobody expects an acceptance immediately. My response has always been questioning them on when they need a response.

The second interview is Friday morning and I just got an email from the other company asking if they could hurry up the interview and do it this Friday. That works out great since I don't have to wait until next Wednesday to speak with them and an opportunity to ask for the salary range so I can compare the two should the other make an offer on Friday.

Unless the management position pays really well I think I am going with the more stable company because at my age I need it. Every year that goes by the tougher it will be to get hired. In 10 years at 60 the odds will really be against me. I need security; good pay for 3-4 years won't cut it.

I've been in this position before, I just told them that they are not the only company interested and that they are not the only ones you are interviewing with. You can also use this to play them off of one another on pay scales if this comes up too, which I did and secured more money, from the company that I really wanted to go with....but it was a gamble worth taking. That said both companies would have been almost equally as good on a resume.

EoinMag said:

I've been in this position before, I just told them that they are not the only company interested and that they are not the only ones you are interviewing with. You can also use this to play them off of one another on pay scales if this comes up too, which I did and secured more money, from the company that I really wanted to go with....but it was a gamble worth taking. That said both companies would have been almost equally as good on a resume.

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Well I only got one offer but it is with what I think the better more stable company than the manager position with what I think is a less stable company. I am taking a major pay cut but with the company I am with now I still have a layoff notice pending (temp on hold) with a due date of March so to me that is a sign I should move on and forget the uncertanty here. Even if they kept me which it looks like they could I would expect a pay cut eventually anyway. I now have to give my 2 week notice. I will very much miss the people I have become friends with here and will leave with mixed emotions.

I will probably be very busy with my new job, at least for a while anyway, so I may not be around as much if anyone will miss me.