Receiving Multiple Job Offers: Best Practices was originally published on College Recruiter.
Many students, recent graduates, and others early in their careers are thrilled when they receive even one job offer when they’re searching for a new part-time, seasonal, internship, or entry-level job. But some of those quickly find themselves to have another problem: multiple job offers.
To be clear, receiving multiple job offers is a problem that many and probably most job seekers would love to have, but it is still a problem. How do you evaluate each to determine which is the best? How do you communicate with those employers? How quickly do you need to act?
To answer these and other questions, we reached out to 13 thought leaders to get their insights:
- Communicate Honestly with Potential Employers
- Consider Benefits Beyond Salary
- Request Time to Deliberate Offers
- Maintain Professionalism with All Offers
- Prioritize Your Health Insurance Needs
- Trust Your Instincts After Research
- Evaluate Onboarding and Support Systems
- Probe Beyond Perks for Cultural Fit
- Align Offers with Personal and Career Goals
- Insist on Formal Written Offers
- Consider Long-Term Career Path Potential
- Weigh Job Offers Against Personal Life
- Be Open About Other Job Offers
Communicate Honestly with Potential Employers
Be communicative and honest with all of the companies that have extended offers to you, and clearly express how much time you’ll need to make your decision from the outset. You don’t necessarily need to tell them which other employers have extended offers, but tell them how many you’ve received, and what factors are making it difficult for you to choose. Giving them this information could ultimately help you get a better offer because they may use this knowledge to sweeten the pot if they’re very interested in hiring you.
From the employer’s standpoint, hiring leaders understand that the strongest candidates may attract interest from multiple employers, so they won’t hold that against you. What gets frustrating is when the candidate is simply non-responsive or indecisive about whether they’re interested in the position or not. This starts a ripple effect, where the employer then can’t keep other potential candidates in the loop about what’s going on, and could ultimately lead to the offer being rescinded if they take your silence as a lack of interest in the role.
Matt Erhard, Managing Partner, Summit Search Group
Consider Benefits Beyond Salary
When managing multiple job offers, it is important to look at factors beyond salary. Good benefits can speak to a company culture that cares for its employees and wants what’s best for them beyond money. Also, I would not let an “Unlimited PTO” policy entice you. Ask further questions about the process for getting PTO approved, how many days employees actually take off on average, etc.
Corey Schwitz, CEO & Founder, Skydog Ops
Request Time to Deliberate Offers
The first, and most awkward, thing that you have to think about when managing multiple job offers is telling the organization that you need a few days to consider. Even if this is just to give you a chance to compare and contrast your options, this time can be absolutely essential to make sure you haven’t picked the wrong role for you.
Everybody thinks about doing this, but in the moment, fear can set in. What if they refuse the time to consider, or what if they go with somebody else? I’m here to tell you that it is very unlikely that will happen. Just as you respected their time to decide on you, now they must respect yours to choose them. This is a two-way street of professional considerations—they aren’t doing you a favor by offering you a role that you are qualified for and could shine in.
If they don’t offer you this courtesy, then they aren’t the right organization for you anyway. So, even if you don’t need some time to think and manage multiple options, it can be a really good test to see if they respect you as much as they claim.
Brett Downes, Founder, Haro Helpers
Maintain Professionalism with All Offers
Remain professional with all of your offers, even if you already know which one you will take. I understand the temptation to just stop responding or managing the process with the other offers once your chosen one comes along, but you never know what is going to happen over time, so keeping doors open by being polite and professional is a good way to hedge your bets against any future trouble at your first choice. You also never know if one will offer to sweeten the pot when you formally communicate your desire to take another offer instead, after you have that offer in hand.
Kate Kandefer, CEO, SEOwind
Prioritize Your Health Insurance Needs
The best way is to always consider your priority factor, be it health insurance, location access, salary, or a combination of all these; it should align well with your priorities. In my experience, what I look forward to the most is health insurance.
Being a person who believes ‘health is wealth’ at almost all points of my life, I give importance to companies that offer better health insurance perks. I personally feel that if a company offers good health insurance advantages, they are well-prepared to accommodate their employees healthily and safely. They are concerned about employees’ needs and security.
A healthy workplace is a happy workplace for employees. It fosters a positive work culture and a supportive working environment. Therefore, while choosing among multiple job offers, keeping in mind health insurance factors is helpful. In other words, it can be more like taking care of yourself too.
Ashwin Ramesh, CEO, Synup
Trust Your Instincts After Research
I encourage job seekers to trust their instincts. After you’ve done all your research, evaluations, and reflections, sometimes it comes down to which offer feels right. I’ve observed that when candidates trust their gut feeling, after a thorough analysis, they tend to be more satisfied with their decision. It’s important to remember that no amount of data can substitute for personal satisfaction and comfort with your potential future workplace.
Bert Hofhuis, Founder, Every Investor
Evaluate Onboarding and Support Systems
I encourage job seekers to pay particular attention to the onboarding and support systems in place at each company. Understanding how each organization facilitates the transition into your new role can give valuable insights into their commitment to employee success.
For instance, a company that offers comprehensive onboarding programs, mentorship opportunities, and continuous learning resources is likely to provide a supportive environment conducive to professional growth.
This consideration has helped many candidates I’ve advised choose companies where they feel supported and valued from day one, leading to a more positive entry into their new role and long-term career satisfaction.
Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President, altLINE Sobanco
Probe Beyond Perks for Cultural Fit
When navigating several compelling opportunities, resist reacting impulsively without context. Rarely is any environment flawless—so refrain from romanticizing options based on surface details. Instead, treat offers as starting points for deeper investigation guided by your core priorities: authentic self-knowledge of strengths requiring certain conditions to thrive, paired with an unflinching assessment of where you can make the greatest impact. Early on, energized by prestigious brand names, I overlooked red flags around poor culture fit. Quickly, I learned that prestige means little without purpose. Now, I coach job seekers to probe past stated perks to clarify alignment between individual values, working styles, and company objectives. Does leadership empower innovation or impose uniformity? Ask to shadow teams and contact former employees for nuanced fit. Evaluate training, feedback, and work-life balance through the lens of your growth needs. Optimize choice for traction more than compensation. Dig beyond declarations into how an opportunity promises progress—the takeoff runway matters more than the destination airport when planning career flight paths.
Lou Reverchuk, Co-founder and CEO, EchoGlobal
Align Offers with Personal and Career Goals
Assess where you fit best. You need your job to support your lifestyle, not the other way around. I suggest you look into key criteria such as salary, benefits, job responsibilities, company culture, and growth potential.
Prioritize your preferences and objectives to determine which offer aligns best with your career goals and personal values. It’s important to communicate transparently with each employer and respectfully decline offers that you’re not considering, ensuring professionalism and leaving the door open for potential future opportunities. For guidance, seeking advice from mentors or trusted professionals can provide valuable insights and perspectives to aid in decision-making.
Michael Hurwitz, CEO and Co-Founder, Careers in Government
Insist on Formal Written Offers
Always, always, always make sure you have written offers in hand when contemplating multiple job offers. Anything that has a formal offer letter is worth twice as much as even the most appealing offer that is less formal, because you never really know when it can be taken away at the last moment or altered when it comes time to get to the offer letter stage. Push to get a formal offer where possible, especially if you already have another tangible offer in hand, so you can feel safer when avoiding playing any games with recruitment.
Dragos Badea, CEO, Yarooms
Consider Long-Term Career Path Potential
I always tell job seekers to consider the long-term career path each offer presents. It’s tempting to focus on immediate benefits, but where an offer can take you in 5 or 10 years is often more important. I recommend reaching out to current or past employees on platforms like LinkedIn to get insider perspectives on career progression within the companies. Those who have taken this advice often find themselves making decisions that better serve their long-term career goals, leading to more fulfilling job experiences.
Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert
Weigh Job Offers Against Personal Life
It’s essential to analyze the impact of each job offer on your personal life, considering factors like commute time, remote work options, and work hours. Balancing professional opportunities with personal well-being is crucial for long-term happiness and success.
I’ve seen job seekers who take these aspects into account often find themselves more satisfied with their decisions, as they’ve chosen roles that complement their lifestyle and personal commitments. This holistic approach to decision-making ensures that you’re not only advancing your career but also nurturing your personal life and well-being.
Gillian Dewar, Chief Financial Officer, Crediful
Be Open About Other Job Offers
I think it’s important to be open about offers you may be expecting or offers you have already received, as it just sets the scene for counter-offers to be made or at least considered at initial interview stages if a hiring manager really decides they want to hire you from the outset.
Tracey Beveridge, HR Director, Personnel Checks
