Company A is probably, but not guaranteed, going to offer Employee X a job with a very, VERY large pay increase. Ca-ching! You know what I’m sayin’? Payday, foshizzle.
Company B is very probably, almost guaranteed, going to offer Employee X a job with a large pay increase. Nothing to sneeze at, but it’s not the golden brick road Company A is living on.
Company B is going to make this offer with a time-limit of 48 hours to make a decision.
Company A might need another week to make their final determination.
Employee X does not want to accept the job with Company B, and then get an offer from Company A that he cannot refuse. Accepting a job with Company A and quitting four days later just smells like really bad mojo.
If Company B calls Employee X with a job offer, how does Employee X tell Company B that he needs more time to make a decision, as he wants more to to allow Company A to come through?
I am going to give you advice from the other side. Basically I was in the position of being company B. We hired employee x to work for us and about 2 weeks later and after some training said they had to leave because unfortunatly in this economy they needed to be making more money and was sorry.
Were we upset? Yes. Were there hard feelings? No. Why? Because we understood, its just business. There was no lying, or misleading going on. Just as we didnt go to employee X with all the details of our hiring process, we dont expect employee X to give us all the details of their applications.
Truth is, we still think Employee X was best qualified and the one wanted for this job. It would take a really piss poor manager to hold a personal grudge against someone. Even if it’s a small industry, as long as you dont play dirty, this should not come back to haunt you. If a year down the road we had another opening and employee X applied and they were still best qualifed would we make them an offer? You bet, cause we want the best. Now we would ask in the interview process “Why should we give you a second chance? And what is to prevent you from jumping ship again?” If we got answers we believed, we would offer them the job, because as I said, we want the best. But this should only haunt you as far as your boss in copany B’s personal power.
But ask why the two day answer time. And do ask if you can have a few more days to think about it, and give them a specific time. Say you will give them an answer by latest that date.
Though honestly BRK, I think you know the answer already of what you are going to do. You are just looking to see if we agree with you or if someone might point out a really horible consequence you didnt think of. GO WITH YOUR GUT! You are the one that has to live with it at the end of the day.
I see 2 options:
1) Screen your calls!
2) Counter B’s offer asking for more money. Let -THEM- be the ones who take more time while you wait on A.
Whatever you decide, best of luck!
Daniel, I’m going to attack this issue from a little different stand point than Rake all though what they stated is 100% true. You need to ask yourself is company A or company B better suited for your life, or better yet your family life. If your going to be primary parent here in the future then you need to ask yourself is money what matters or being able to be at things that is important to you and your son? I left a very well paying job, that demanded way to much of my time so I could spend it with my sons, now I get to help coach their pee wee basketball games, attend football, and baseball games, all the really important stuff to me anyway. Good luck in your decision process buddy.
I was in a very simillar position about 6 months or so back. After worrying my jead about it for a day I just said to myself:
“Swagger, old pal, you’ve got this down since both companies want your golden behind gracing the soft leather of their office chairs.”
Yes, I’m in the habit of talking loudly to myself and using my internet handle as a substitute for my real name. Sue me.
So I called up “company B” and told them that I would happily go to work for them but there was one small issue with the salary. I explained that I thought I could do better and wasn’t lacking offers. They asked to think of this and I gave them the week to respond.
In my case I already had the offer from “company A” semi closed but I wanted to be damn sure I had it in writing. Once I recieved that, about two days after speaking to “company B” if I remember correctly, I knew I was golden.
In the end “company B” almost matched the offer, but I went with “company A” anyways. I needed a change and they were the ones that offered the more stimulating work. The money was just a bonus, albeit a sweet one at that.
/Best regards Swagger.
If either company is that interested in hiring you or keeping you on then they will give you the time necessary to let you make an informed and thought out decision.
Daniel,
As I see it, if either company is serious about hiring you, they will allow you the necessary time to decide. A change of jobs can have a profound impact on your life and it is only natural that a person needs time to get all aspects of the new job into perspective. This requires time. If they have any sense and are really serious about hiring you, they’ll give you the time to make up your mind – within reason of course.
So my advice: ask company B the reason for the short notice. Do tell them that you need more time. Evaluate both offers thoroughly and then make up your mind. Is B not interested anymore, then perhaps they were not as interested as they pretended to be in the first place.
Anyway: good luck, and do tell how it turns out
Bart aka Gultruk & Pythagoras
Haha, the hardest I ever had to think about where to work was wondering which farm had the nicest herd of cows. The money was pretty usually crappy at all of them.
Whatever decision you make, I wish you the best.
The real question is, does either company know or read this blog.
This happened to me at one time… I went with Company B… then Company A came back a week later and said that they wanted to hire me… I told them no.. my loyalty was with Company B… and it burned me in the long run… I finally got a job a few years later with Company A…
Do what is in the best interest of you Daniel… If Company A is offering alot more money than Company B… then tell that to Company B… negotiate… and if you take the job… keep your options open… In these finanical times, it is best to be nimble and adapt.
Daniel these are true words.
As Bart slso said if they are really interested in hiring you then they will work with you. To me tho it seems like they know your skills and are trying to lock you into their payroll before somebody else can counter their offer.
I think Riveter and Rake have it down. Do your Research with both companies and the specific job they are looking to fill.
As it has been said, It couldn’t hurt to ask the company why the 48 hour turn around and if you can have some more time to considerate their proposal.
Every other time i’ve heard someone have this dilemma, the advice has been to think of yourself first, and let the companies protect themselves in any way they see fit. If you can get a job at company B, get it. If company A comes around, quit your B-job. (don’t make a remark about that please:-)
Take the 2nd job, tell them you need your two weeks notice. If your current job comes through with the raise call the other company and tell them to eat it.
It’s business, nothing personal.
Old adage…a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Take Company B for now, and if Company A comes through, count your blessings and say good-bye! A couple of years ago I accepted a job offer I wasn’t pleased about to begin with, my Company B if you will, and I totally rescinded on B for A once A made their decision. Good thing I did since B is now out of business! Skin of my teeth, let me tell ya.
48 hours? Bad sign. Very bad. NO company worth working for requires you to say yes or no that quick, unless they’ve got something to hide (or you to overlook). Company B can stick it – they’ll wait. If you take it, they’ll stick that same procedure on you AGAIN. Ad nauseum.
In this economy…
A bird in the hand beats two in the bush.
GL. You’re gonna need it.
Company C!
Really…money is not everything…its a big part but not everything. Which of the companies has better health care? Which company has a better chance on promotion? better chance of being there a year from now?
I mean a company could give you a large salary but could be belly up in a years time…while the other company could give you a smaller salary(but still more that you make now) and they are still there years from now.
Just look at everything before choosing…its your choice.
I’ll come at it from a different angle.
Yes, money is important. However, since both are giving X a substantial increase, the exact amount of A > B really doesn’t matter.
My question for you is… Which job would make you happier? Seriously, money isn’t everything. I know to many people with really good incomes, that are miserable. They, as many others, have gotten themselves into a situation where they can’t leave their jobs, and they feel horribly stuck. I’m sure that eventually employee X will have a life style on par with their income. So, go for the job that gives the greatest happiness ratio. That way, there will be less of a chance of remorse later on.
Z
Hey Daniel,
/personal story on
For five years I lived in NC, worked in NC, got paid big bucks, but didn’t really like my job.
Two years ago I was offered a job in CO. I’m a cyclist, so CO is heaven for us. The problem? HUGE pay cut. Still a “living” wage, but barely.
I decided to move. The result? I LOVE my job, LOVE the area, and honestly, I don’t miss the money a bit. I’m having too much fun.
So…don’t decide based on the money, decide based on what is going to make you the happiest.
Take the last date company A and tell the company B you cant start because you have to give notice to the current company, or that you need a week to take care of personal business. The real problem is you posted it and they both know it now. Which company has the best future? and +2 for happiness over cash. The time you spend with lil dan is worth more than gold.
Easy – Take both jobs
It really depends. I was in a similar situation 20 years ago. I accepted an offer for a job I kinda wanted, best I’d found. Then a week later, got an offer for the dream job I’d applied for and thought I didn’t get.
In my field, which is not your field, everyone told me it would ruin my reputation and burn a lot of bridges to cancel the job I’d accepted, possibly in writing (I forget if I’d signed anything).
In hindsight, I’m still not sure I did the right thing.
There are so many possible considerations that aren’t in your post, nobody can give you great advice.
Companies give you time constraints when they feel you are very valuable to them and dont want to give you more time to be grabbed up by someone else.
They know that the time limit that they put on you is purely to push you to make a decision because you think that you will lose it if you dont act before the allotted date.
Best advice given in these comments is this:
Ask why the 48 hour time limit.
Then explain that you need a bit more time to think about it as you have a lot more to consider than just, the job and the pay. Divulge as much information as you feel is within you to share. Personally i have no qualms with using my personal life, even if it is exagerated sometimes, to pressure them into giving me more time to think about it. How you do it is up to you, but asking them for more time to consider the offer is completely within your rights as a person and especially as a single Father.
Remember that a company has a lot of power to pressurize you, and put you in the position that they want you in. But you have just as much power, in some ways, even more power if you are highly sought after in your field.