Congratulations, you have several offers on the table at once from multiple employers. That means you're doing exceedingly well in a competitive labor market. But now you have a few decisions to make, including whether to tell employers about other offers. Discover what to do in various scenarios when you find yourself in this situation on a job search.
Full Disclosure
Employers respect honesty, and telling them of other offers lets the hiring manager or recruiter decide whether to proceed with your candidacy. You have the right to take the offer that best fits you, and the right company should create a contract that caters to your needs as closely as possible. How you communicate multiple offers to an employer can shift the balance in your favor.
Patience is the key here. Wait to speak about other offers until after your initial interview. If your interview went well and you're going to the next step, that's when you disclose your current scenario. You can always negotiate a better compensation package from a second deal to make it more like the first offer you received. The trick is to be subtle during your salary negotiations, so don't outright say that another offer pays $5,000 more or has a specific type of benefit you're seeking. The hiring manager doesn't necessarily need to know specific numbers.
If a hiring manager asks you about other offers you've received, talk about the type of position rather than disclosing a specific company. Employers don't reveal names of other candidates. Likewise, you don't owe a company the names of other organizations that saw fit to make you an offer.
Going for full disclosure has its risks. A company may immediately drop you at that point. It may see you as a risky hire if you're seeking employment elsewhere. However, since you have multiple offers in your favor, you have the advantage in this case.
Saying Nothing
Saying nothing about other offers has its advantages as well. You have no obligation to say anything about your job search, just like companies don't have to say anything about how they hire people. Not revealing anything gives the organization the impression it's the only option on your list. Keeping your information close to you makes things simple during the interview and the salary negotiation phase.
One way to navigate multiple offers without revealing them is to ask for more time to consider an offer. It's a stalling tactic but be careful not to take too long. Consider 24 to 48 hours as a viable option, because you don't want the company to move to the next candidate if you take too long to decide what offer is better for you.
A downside is a hiring manager may feel as if you lied to him or you have a hidden agenda if he finds out you have multiple offers on the table. This could lead to burned bridges and missed opportunities in the future.
Having other offers at one time is a positive rather than a negative. This situation gives you total control over what offers to follow. The choice about disclosing this information is up to you. How have you handled this scenario?
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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