How much time allowed before definitely accepting job offer

[RangeTesKopeks]

Sorry to post such a boring thread but would be great to hear your advice on this please :)

I understand that this will generally vary between different companies and employers.

I was just wondering, after being given a job offer, how much time it would be acceptable for me to think about accepting the offer before going back to the employer and definitely accepting it?

Thanks :)

I took five working days last time I was looking, because I knew another company was getting sign-off for my offer. The first company did get grumpy about it though (one of the reasons I didn't go with them!)

Usually I would say 1-2 days is normal.

Where I work the offer will expire within two weeks, however I think the most important thing is to communicate well. If you need time to think then manage expectations- I have some things to consider but will be in a position to make a final decision on x date. Worst thing is to go quiet and don't return calls...just tell people what is going on!

Following with interest as I'm applying for two jobs, one of which sounds preferable to the other. Trouble is that if (by some miracle!) I get interviews for both, thd preferable job interview would be 2 weeks after the first one. So if I was offered the first job my options are either a.) accept and risk being gutted if I also get offered the preferable job or b.) decline an offer from the first job and risk losing both! Any advice very welcome. Of course I may not even get an interview for any of them so this could all be a complete waste of worry, ha!

@Polomintini it's good to hear some employers give 2 weeks to decide in my case!

I would expect a positive answer within a few days - If someone waited more than that I would begin to doubt my choice.

It obviously depends on the job and how many other people want it but companies want you to be really keen to work for them. We offered someone a position which a lot of people were applying for and she asked if she could think about it and let us know when she got back from holiday in a week's time. We withdrew the offer straight away.

Natwebb, if you get interviews for both I'd make clear in the interviews that you are active in a few processes and that you would want to see them through before making a final decision. Knowing you are being interviewed by other companies does make you sound in demand. They won't always be in position to wait two weeks but at least you've been up front about it.

Also, I recruit when people leave, usually on a months notice, - so, allowing for time for new candidates to give in their notice, I don't want too long a gap between posts

(we are a small employer, so generally each person does a specific set of tasks)

@natwebb79 are your currently employed? If so use your current notice period as a buffer, even if you agree to job A you could then pull out if you get job B

48 hours at the maximum. If a candidate hasn't accepted the job in that time frame, alarms bells start ringing, the job is clearly not his first choice and the candidate is not keen. Longer than this and it means he's waiting to hear from other interviews and only accept at a last resort because he's been rejected elsewhere.

If the job does involve relocating in another country, or is a huge sense of direction, a few more days are fine. For a bog standard job, for which the candidate has applied, I'd say the shorter the better.

@missarcher I did think that but didn't want to inconvenience people. I thought a letter along the lines of 'Many apologies but my circumstances have changed since accepting the post' may or may not be acceptable. It's a minefield!

some employers give 2 weeks to decide

I honestly don't understand how that can work in practice. If you wait 2 weeks for someone's decision and they decline, it's unlikely your second and third choice will still be available so you would have to start over?

I do more head hunting than general recruitment these days. Even candidates who have been invited for interviews don't take 2 weeks to give an answer.