Is it okay to let a potential employer know you have another job offer to speed up their decision?
October 1st, 2010 | 
Author: Question by Em: Is it okay to let a potential employer know you have another job offer to speed up their decision?
I have interviewed twice with the same company(1), and I was told after my interview today I would receive another over the phone interview sometime next week as another step in the interview process. In the meantime I have gotten another compareable job offer. Is it professional to inform company 1 that I have been offered another position to help speed up the process? I really want the postition at company 1, but I’m not in a situation where I can turn down a comparable job offer. Please help!
Best answer:
Answer by jeffcogs
That’s a really tough decision, and ultimately only you can make it. But personally, here’s what I would do: Call the company and tell them you have another offer. The reason is the second company, having already made an offer, isn’t going to want to sit around waiting for you to make a decision, and it would be horrible if they got tired of waiting and then the first company finally decides not to hire you and you end up with no job. It’s really unfair for the first company to be taking so long to make a decision. Companies like that seem to forget that they’re dealing with human beings who have bills to pay and who *might* be unemployed and need something quick.
So I’d tell the first company that you have an offer. And this is where my advice might not be good, but it’s what I would do: I would meanwhile go ahead and accept the offer from the second company, but tell them you can’t start for two weeks. Then you can always back out if the other company comes through. It’s kind of rotten, but in my opinion, it’s the way to play the job game.
What do you think? Answer below!
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Personally, as an employer, I would find that in bad taste. It would sound like you are trying to use leverage to secure your position. As a person who does the hiriing and firing I don’t think I would like that characteristic in a potential employee. I would wait the appropriate time or take the job with the other company.
Also be aware that in certain business lines, you have to have 3 interviews to obtain employment, background checks, urine screenings and other things which take time to obtain.
It is not as cut and dry as fill out the application and you are hired. It is a due process.
There is nothing wrong with your calling the first company and telling them that you have another offer and you have to make a decision by a certain deadline. Make it clear that you would prefer to compare offers, and also that you would prefer to work for #1, but you cannot afford to miss the deadline and then not get the offer from #1. Make it clear that you understand that they may not be able to speed up the process, in which case you will have to make a decision without them.
Most companies have established procedures they like to follow, and sometimes these procedures stretch into longer time than necessary. Since #1 seems to be interested in you, they may speed up the process in order not to lose you. Their offer may turn out to be not competitive. You should be able to compare. But if they don’t cooperate, it means that their interest in you is not as high as you thought. They may be comparing you with several other prospects.
However, the last thing you want to do is accept the job with #2 and then tell them you changed your mind. That is totally unprofessional and unethical. You can tell #2 that you are still waiting for another offer and would like to compare the two. They may be willing to wait, or they may tell you to decide within their deadline. Above all, be completely honest with both companies.