How Long Is Too Long To Respond To A Job Offer?
While most employment experts recommend that workers take the time to review a job offer, taking too long can cause the offer to be withdrawn. How long is too long when considering a job offer?
According to an article by Samantha Chang appearing on the Human Resources Online website, getting back to a potential employer as soon as possible is important. Of those department and HR managers participating in a survey recently conducted in Hong Kong, 40% said that they expected an answer from a potential new hire in one to two weeks.
An informal survey taken at the Human Resources Online site where the article appeared, 78% indicated that one week is the most acceptable amount of time that an employer should have to wait to get an answer when a job offer is extended.
Elaine Lam, associate director of Robert Half Hong Kong, believes that in the current job market where employers are scrambling to fill vacant positions with talented workers if a potential new hire takes too long, it can lead to frustration for both workers and employers.
”When it comes to filling vacant roles, time is usually of the essence which means hiring managers are inclined to move forward with another candidate if their preferred applicant takes too long to decide,” Lam said.
The top reason cited for workers waiting so long to respond to potential employers who offer them a job is that nearly 30% of workers today are receiving multiple offers of employment. Weighing the pros and cons of each offer carefully can take time. An estimated 26% of those participating in the Hong Kong survey said that offers with non-competitive salaries gave them a reason to hesitate before accepting a job offer, while 20% said counteroffers from their current employer played a role.
