When a person is actively looking for a job, he schedules several interviews at once so as not to rely on only one company. Therefore, after a series of interviews, several organizations may be interested in him at once, from which he must choose the most suitable one. In such situations, it is very important to set priorities correctly and understand how to refuse an employer after an interview, so as not to leave an unpleasant impression.
It's best not to burn any bridges, as there's a good chance you'll be able to collaborate in the future. Plus, everyone wants to leave behind memories as a professional in their field, and not as an incompetent amateur. Therefore, you must refuse politely and diplomatically.
- Money and career What to ask at an interview with an employer: 16 main questions Believe me, a lot will depend on your questions and his answers.
Now we will tell you how to do this.
How to politely refuse an employer after an interview
So, you successfully passed the interview, convinced the head of the company of your professional suitability, but ultimately realized that you were not going to work for him. At this stage, it is very important to refuse work politely, because people are already pinning their hopes on you and making some plans.
We won’t beat around the bush, but will immediately give you a working algorithm for constructing your refusal. Moreover, it can be presented to the employer in any form. For example, by phone, by email or in person, immediately after the interview. The choice is yours.
Rules for conducting a conversation to refuse a vacancy
The fundamental laws of interpersonal communication and diplomatic scripts (schemes) also apply in the context of a personal meeting with an unsuitable employer. The conversation is not difficult if the applicant remembers that he is an equal participant in the labor exchange, offering his professional services in exchange for the agreed remuneration. Following this idea, it will not be difficult for the initiator of negotiations to protect his interests without going beyond a friendly tone. It is worth making a plan for the conversation in advance, providing an explanation with one or more arguments and sticking to the chosen goal - unconditionally sever the relationship or win more friendly terms. Here are a few rules to help you achieve success in negotiations:
- Brevity. The message should be concise and succinct to save time on both sides.
- Avoid an apologetic tone. Despite the natural desire to smooth out the negative message of the news and reduce tension, you should adhere to a parity style of communication in order to keep your interlocutor from making unconstructive statements. Eliminate the words “sorry”, “excuse me”, “I beg your pardon”.
- It is advisable to use a clear non-verbal “mask” that will help the opponent’s subconscious perceive the speaker as an honest and decisive person: eye contact, a friendly smile, open hand gestures.
- If the interlocutor takes the conversation to an emotional level or continues to insist on unacceptable conditions, you should use the “dumb refusal” technique (repeating the chosen decision for each opponent’s remark).
- Avoid emotional reactions to irritation and reproaches; be patient.
Example
“Hello, XX! (Remind yourself if required) I am very glad that you took the time to communicate with me. It was useful for me to communicate with professionals; I learned a lot of new and useful things. It would be nice to work here, but I realized that I would not be able to reach my full potential due to... . This decision was not easy for me; I thought for a long time before deciding to do it. I wish you to find a suitable employee as soon as possible. Thank you again. Here are my contacts for the future, I will be glad to meet you again someday.”
Skills that a highly effective person must have
Ways to cancel an interview with an employer
Correctness demonstrated at the right time creates an employer's opinion of the candidate as a responsible, business specialist. The reason for refusing an interview should be especially compelling when it comes to a highly paid management position. A warning call to cancel a personal meeting gives the recruiter time to select another candidate.
There are several ways to cancel an interview:
- phone call;
- email;
- letter of refusal;
- personal visit to the HR department or recruiting agency.
Ideally, it is possible to personally visit the HR department or agency and cancel the interview. Using an email or phone call is also possible. This saves a lot of time.
There are some general rules to follow when canceling an interview:
- Notify the employer or recruiter in advance, leaving the opportunity to change your plans.
- The refusal should sound categorically, but tactfully: “At the present time, I am forced to refuse your offer...”.
- Express regret about the inability to accept the invitation (for this there are standard etiquette formulations, for example, “I’m sorry, but...”, “I have to...”).
- It is not necessary to explain the reasons for refusal.
How to tactfully decline offers after an interview
How to refuse an interview with an employer?
Step One: Express your appreciation. Hiring new staff is the job of a manager. But it is very important to value the time of the person who wants to hire you. He spent several hours studying your resume, looking at your social media profiles in hopes of getting to know you better, and meeting you in person. Respect him and yourself. Thank you for your time. Say how much you appreciate that the employer answered all your questions regarding working for the company in a detailed and polite manner. This will make a big difference.
Step two: Give a good, concise reason. Don't leave the hiring manager guessing about the reason for your negative response. Especially you spent a lot of time on the interview or either party showed interest. But you don’t need to tell for several hours how difficult it was for you and how you agonized over accepting it for a whole week.
The best tactic is to be brief and honest. Then you can win the respect of your manager. Tell them you are considering other options. This proposal is not the only one. There are high chances that you will be offered a job in this company if you are not satisfied with another offer.
Step three: maintain the relationship. Wish the person all the best for the future. It will be great if you meet at a conference or important business event.
The professional world is very small. It is very important to make good connections. Don't ignore this advice.
This strategy has a lot in common with the “sandwich”. First you tell the good news, then the bad and then the good again. It's ethical and polite. The sandwich strategy is very effective in communicating with people. You will be perceived as a serious and responsible person who knows how to conduct business diplomatically.
When looking for a new job in modern conditions, specialists send their resumes to several organizations simultaneously. With this approach, it often becomes necessary to refuse the offered position.
A polite and tactful refusal will characterize you as a good specialist who has full business communication skills. Remember that the world filled with information technology is a very small place. You talk rudely to a representative of one organization, he will share his opinion about you with representatives of other companies and you will gain a reputation as a rude person.
To avoid awkward situations and not spoil your own image in the business environment, let’s take a closer look at how to politely refuse an employer and explain the reasons for loss of interest in work, while observing all the rules of professional etiquette.
The ability to politely refuse an employer is a very important skill that is directly related to a person’s qualifications and professionalism.
You can refuse a job after an interview for a number of reasons. In principle, it is not necessary to explain to a failed employer why you decided to refuse the offered vacancy. But correct and polite wording will be good form. Let's look at the most common motives, as well as how to correctly formulate them in negotiations.
If during the interview it turns out that the salary level does not meet the applicant’s expectations, he has every right to refuse such work. How to competently refuse in this case? It is better to say directly that this level of remuneration is unacceptable for you, since it does not correspond to your level of qualifications.
Some employers, when posting a vacancy, indicate one salary, and during the interview they offer another, lower one. They expect that if a specialist is interested and is currently really looking for a job, he will be embarrassed to refuse the vacancy due to a “small demotion.” Surprisingly, in half of the cases, applicants, having heard about a reduced salary, are really embarrassed to refuse, especially if the conversation was in a positive tone before.
Fight against such unnecessary modesty, which prevents you from receiving decent pay for your work. In addition, practice shows that in some cases, having encountered an applicant’s refusal due to a low salary, employers meet them halfway and immediately offer to increase wages.
Another popular reason for a job seeker’s refusal to get a job in one place is being hired in another with more favorable conditions. How to refuse a vacancy in such a situation? As in the previous case, it is better to directly inform the employer that you have found a better/higher paying option.
It is not necessary to tell where exactly you are applying, what the salary is and why this organization is better in your opinion, even if the representative of the failed employer insists on answers. Politely inform them that this is confidential information and you are not willing to share it.
The applicant may be interested in employment with the company. But sometimes, having seen the working conditions and his workplace, he realizes that this option is not suitable for him. What to tell your employer? Politely formulate the idea that working in such conditions is unacceptable to you. For example, an allergy to dust, migraine attacks from equipment noise, etc. will hinder you.
If after the interview the candidate suddenly finds out that the company has a dubious reputation, there are known cases of fraud, untimely or underpaid wages, it would be wiser to refuse to work for it. This is perhaps the only case when it is better not to disclose the true reasons to a representative of the organization - in order to avoid raised conversations and quarrels. Reply that you have found a more interesting vacancy and politely say goodbye.
It happens that you didn’t like the work, but it’s awkward to immediately say “no” and disappoint expectations. You can refuse the offer if you realized during the interview that the job is not suitable.
Don't rush to agree to the offer, take time to think. A hasty decision will be based on emotions; they are not the best advisor. When the emotions subside, you will be able to more clearly imagine the positive and negative sides of the proposal. Perhaps an impulsive decision made immediately after the interview will be later revised.
You can refuse a vacancy in different ways.
- Visit the organization in person.
- Make a phone call.
- Write a refusal of the vacancy to the employer. The letter can be brought to the secretary or sent by email.
If the decision to refuse the employer after the interview has been made, then you should not delay the answer, no matter how awkward it may be.
There is no need to wait for the employer to call or leave the call unanswered. Moreover, agree to an interview if you are not going to go there.
It is better to refuse if an interview or meeting is scheduled in advance: the interviewer will have time to change the work schedule.
The time lost for a correct refusal negatively affects the reputation of the applicant. An employer who waits in vain for a specialist wastes time, the workplace remains unfilled, this negatively affects the volume of production and services.
When calling by phone, follow the rules of etiquette:
- Introduce yourself.
- Remind: what vacancy the interview was conducted for, the date of the interview.
- Specify the last name, first name and patronymic of the specialist.
- Ask if he is able to talk now.
- Take your time, pause so that they can ask you questions.
- Next, proceed according to the general rules. You can take an example from the letter below.
The letter is great when the position is not very significant in the structure of the organization, and it was not possible to establish a friendly relationship with the person who conducted the interview. Refusal in writing eliminates the need to answer awkward questions. Of course, the letter must be correctly composed.
Example letter
Dear Nikolai Alexandrovich!
Thank you for the offer to fill the vacancy of an economist. Unfortunately, I will not be able to accept the offer due to the fact that I was offered a promotion at my current position, and I decided to accept it. I hope to cooperate in the future. I wish to find a suitable candidate.
Sincerely,
Vasilyeva Ekaterina Mikhailovna
When sending an email, be careful when typing the email address. If the organization does not receive the letter, you risk being seen as irresponsible.
If the employment contract has already been signed by both parties and the employee has begun duties, he can resign only under the terms of the contract. Therefore, before you sign the document, READ it. Even the smallest font.
If the employee is on a probationary period or has not yet started work, then it is better to come to an amicable agreement. We are always for honesty - we either truthfully state the reason for the refusal, or do not explain it at all.
We inform you about the refusal both orally and in writing (by email):
- Thank you for the interview and job offer
- We inform about the resignation of the position
- Explain the reason (or don’t explain)
- Thank you for your time
How to refuse an interview via email?
Regardless of whether a candidate uses a simple letter or an email to refuse an interview, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules of business correspondence and grammar. The letter must be clearly formulated and correct in content.
- Address (preferably personal) - “Dear Ivan Ivanovich..”
- Gratitude for attention to the candidacy and invitation to a conversation - “I am grateful to you for the attention shown to my candidacy...”
- Information that the proposal for cooperation has been considered
- Positive assessment of the organization’s activities “Your offer of cooperation is extremely flattering for me...” (if the offer came from a direct employer)
- It would be correct to express your regret about the inability to take up the position, for example: “Unfortunately, at this time I am forced to refuse your offer...”
It is not necessary to explain the reason for the refusal, but it would be polite to clarify why such a decision was made. It must be strong enough. Traditionally, the reason can be cited as the remoteness of the place of work, inconvenient schedule, or lack of social guarantees. All these facts cause understanding on the part of the employer, and leave the opportunity to consider the company as an employer again if circumstances change.
At the end there must be a date, a signature and a transcript to it. The letter in an envelope is delivered personally to the organization, the electronic version is sent to the official email address of the enterprise or recruitment agency.
When to refuse a job
Psychologists recommend not to rush into a decision and give yourself time to think about it. This is normal behavior of a thorough person, which should not arouse suspicion among a potential employer. Therefore, the applicant should remember two rules when communicating with HR specialists:
- To the HR officer’s question, “Are you considering vacancies from other employers?” answer in the affirmative. An exception is if the candidate, for some reason, wants to find a job only in this company (or seeks to convince the interviewer of this).
- When agreeing on the time to make a decision or the date of entry into service, be sure to take a time-out for up to 7-10 days. This period is usually included in the candidate selection process: HR department employees complete the competition, recall vacancies, compare selected candidates, clarify their position, and prepare reports. The need for a delay can be explained by various arguments.
Secrets to a successful Skype interview: 7 important rules
The time for announcing a refusal also depends on the stage of employment.
- After being invited for an interview. If you want to avoid the first meeting with a rejected employer, it is recommended to notify the interviewer at least a day before the marked time. A telephone call is the most acceptable method of communication for declining an invitation. You need to call during business hours, when employees are busy with current issues and are not ready to delve into details. The initiator of the conversation gets the opportunity not only to refuse, but also to “save face.” Reluctance to attend the first meeting usually does not require an explanation.
- After the first interview. The period from the introductory interview to subsequent meetings with representatives usually takes several days. If the recruiter reports a positive decision immediately after the interview, the applicant is advised to ask for a delay of 1-2 weeks, during which it is advisable to inform about the refusal. After the first meeting, the candidate has a lot of new information about the employer, which can provide a true or formal clue for rejecting the vacancy.
- After agreeing to go to work. Sometimes situations arise when a candidate changes his decision immediately before starting or in the first days of his working life. In this case, you should act according to the circumstances. After signing the contract, the opportunity to terminate the employment relationship will arise only after a trial period. If the official registration has not yet been completed, you should ask for a personal meeting with the employee supervising the vacancy. A telephone refusal option is appropriate, but not recommended. At this stage, it is necessary to select the most convincing and justified reasons. Even if the “refuser’s” arguments are deliberately false, the desire to convey explanatory information to the recruiter will help maintain a positive opinion about the employee.
- Motives based on the applicant’s personal analysis of the relationship between his own strengths and the requirements of the position win: “I came to the conclusion that I cannot cope with the responsibilities, I do not have enough experience to successfully perform these functions. At first I didn’t pay attention to some of the details, but now I understand that I can’t ignore them.”
- Draw the attention of the interlocutor that the decision to refuse was not easy.
- Offer a replacement from among your acquaintances for whom you can vouch, invite to your lecture, presentation, master class, training, provide a link to a personal blog, offer your services not as a colleague, but as a counterparty, etc.
- Express pleasure from acquaintance and attention to your candidacy.
An approximate scheme of an oral communication in case of refusal after consent
“Hello, XX! I was very pleased to communicate with you. The opportunity to work for your company means a lot to me. At first, the position seemed to me to fully correspond to my expectations, but after careful analysis, I realized that I would have to refuse. I can’t go to work because of (reasons). It was difficult for me to make this decision, but I don’t see any other way out. I am confident that in the future we will be able to renew our business alliance. In any case, I would like to stay in touch with you."
The process of giving up doesn't have to be a painful process. To ensure a positive atmosphere in negotiations, you need to remember three rules:
- use the universal “sandwich” technique;
- see yourself as an equal participant in the labor market - a correct, polite, diplomatic professional;
- consider the moment of refusal not as the final “burning of bridges”, but as the establishment of useful business connections for the future, when the failed partner retains value for the applicant in the long term.
What to do if the vacancy is not suitable: how to refuse the employer before and after the interview?
Often several candidates apply for one vacant position in a company. However, after studying information about the company, some applicants may change their opinion about the vacancy and the job in general.
And in this case, they will not want to continue communicating with the employer. We will tell you in detail how to refuse an employer correctly and tactfully in this article.
Dear readers! Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is unique.
How to properly refuse an employer at a meeting
Refusal during a personal conversation is the most appropriate form of rejecting an offer, since such a gesture is a sign of great respect for the employer.
To maintain friendly relations and correctly present the decision, it is recommended to structure the story as follows:
1. Say hello, voice your name, time or circumstances of the last meeting:
“Hello, my name is Peter Alekseevich, I am one of the candidates for the position of development manager.” "Good afternoon. My name is Vladimir. We met you at an interview on June 19, 2021.”
Prepare the recruiter to answer:
“I am very grateful for your time”; “I treat you with great respect and I don’t dare delay your response to your proposal.”
Indicate the complexity of the decision made:
“Refusing the offer was a very serious step for me”; “My refusal was preceded by a long period of deliberation”; “Before rejecting the appointment, I tried to change the circumstances that were holding me back, but they turned out to be stronger.”
4. Explain the reason (based on the actual situation or choosing from the paragraph below).
[google_other]
End the conversation on a friendly note:
“Having seen your level of competence, I have no doubt that a suitable candidate will be found in the very near future”; “Thank you for your attention and proper assessment of my abilities, the experience of communicating with you brought the most positive emotions”; “I wish the company productive work and employees who always share the views of their superiors.”