So you passed the interview and got the job—congratulations! What now? If you know how to accept a job offer, you’ll see that it’s not as simple as saying, “Yes, I accept.” There are certain intricacies that you need to observe in order to formally accept a job offer. Look on below to know exactly what you can do after receiving the good news.
Accepting a verbal offer
If a company considers you for the job, after the interview, you will likely receive a phone call or personally meet the hiring manager, the HR officer, or a recruitment consultant. Here are the things to keep in mind when accepting an offer verbally in person or through the phone.
Express gratitude
The first thing you need to do once you get “the call” is to express appreciation. Thank the employers for considering you for the position, and be gracious. This will make your potential employers feel that they made the right choice in picking you out of the rest of the applicants. A simple “Thank you for this opportunity,” or “Thank you for selecting me for this position,” will usually do the trick. If you are face to face with them, smile and offer a handshake so that your body language will reflect the gratitude of your words.
Take some time to think.
After you’ve expressed your thanks, you might feel tempted to say yes right away, but the prudent thing to do is to think it over for a day or two. Before dropping the call or leaving the meeting, ask any questions you may have about the job and the offer and mull over it for a while.
There are several reasons why you may want to think over things before you give them your final answer. Maybe the job’s demands can negatively affect your family. You might need to move to another state, and you’re not fully ready for that. Perhaps you’re just not sure whether the compensation they’re offering is enough, and you have to double-check with research.
You can simply say something like, “Thank you for the opportunity, may I have a day or two to think about this before I give my answer?” or “There are a lot of factors I need to consider, can I get back to you on Friday this week?”
Taking time to think about the offer and doing some background research on the compensation package offer will give you more conviction in your acceptance or give you an opportunity to confidently and gracefully decline should it not suit your needs. However, make sure that you communicate with them within your specified time frame. Don’t make them feel as if you’ve forgotten all about the offer.
Negotiate
After you’ve taken your time to evaluate the offer, follow up with the hiring manager to discuss the terms of your job offer either by phone or in person. You might feel intimidated, but negotiation is an expected part of the hiring process. However, do so in a polite and professional manner.
You may use phrases such as “Are the details of my compensation open for discussion?” or “Will the company consider increasing my salary offer?” Of course, if you wish to ask for more, you need to have looked at the totality of the package, which includes both salary and benefits.
Request for a written offer
At the end of your conversation, make sure to let them know that you are expecting a printed or written copy. You may request it for reference purposes and have a clearer picture of your employment terms.
Accepting a written offer
Sometimes, an employer provides a written offer either by letter or email on top of their verbal job offer. It is still important for you to formally accept the offer in writing as well, even if you’ve already verbally accepted.
Your acceptance letter should contain these four essential aspects:
Note of appreciation
As with a verbal acceptance, you should always start off your written approval with gratitude. As you did through phone or in your meeting, express your thanks for their consideration and make them feel that you genuinely appreciate them for picking you for the job.
Formal acceptance
You have to explicitly write down that you accept the offer. Make it clear that you accept the job offer after thanking the hiring manager. A line that says something like “I would like to inform you that I formally accept your offer of [job title] at [company/organization].” If you feel this is too stiff for the position you are applying for, a more casual way to put it would be to simply say, “I am thrilled to accept your job offer.”
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Review of the terms and conditions
You also have to mention the terms and conditions of your offer in the acceptance letter. This statement is to clarify and to relay your understanding of the proposition that they gave you. The terms and conditions include your job title, your contract, if applicable, and your compensation, which is inclusive of your salary and benefits such as health insurance and paid leaves. You can also include in this portion any probationary period that they stipulated in their offer letter, along with other conditions that may have been specified.
Your starting date
Finally, clarify your starting date. It is likely that you have already discussed this over the phone or during a previous meeting where you may have verbally accepted their offer. Just to be safe, reiterate that information in your acceptance letter. If you have not set a date in a previous conversation, this part is crucial because you will inform your employers of when you can start.
Ending your acceptance letter
At the end of your acceptance letter, let them know that you are prepared to answer any questions or provide any additional information or documentation should they need it. Finally, thank them one last time for considering you for the job.
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