Has anyone ever declined a job offer?

[Ceriane]

Has anyone ever declined a job offer after going through the interview and being offered the job and given really good feedback, after thinking about it for a while and then realising it’s really not for you and you are better off staying where you are for the time being, and realised the job you applied for isn’t quite what you thought it was?

Yes I have.

I had been working so hard, had carried a project single handedly and then out of nowhere, someone was brought in above me to also work on the same project. This person had less experience but somehow positioned themselves as being senior to me and as bringing additional expertise (they didn’t). It was totally demoralising and demotivating.

I’d heard that this person had turned down a senior director level post somewhere else, and as the job was still open, I applied for it myself. I went though an intense three rounds of interviews, presentations, psychometric testing and was also offered the job. I turned it down, but not before I used the offer as a bargaining tool at work to ensure that my salary was uplifted and had negotiated a deal that included funding for prestigious further study, paid study leave and clear recognition for my leadership of the project I was working on. I did feel bad for the recruiting organisation and did consider the job but it just wasn’t right.

Yes. It was a job I actually really wanted, but it would have been a significant salary drop to shift into a different field (arts marketing). After a lot of thinking I realised I would be living on fresh air after bills, and opted to remain in corporate PR a bit longer. (I was single at the time so just one income.)

I don’t regret it, and it actually worked out okay as I was able to forge a relationship between my then company and the arts company, which everyone benefited from.

Oh, I also accepted a job agency-side from client-side, felt a bit funny about it, and within a day of starting knew it was a bad, bad move. I lasted less than six months in that post and wish I had trusted my instincts.

I never have. If done soon after being offered the job, its ok. Waiting months then saying no- not professional at all.

I interviewed and gave someone a job. She had a 3mth notice period, so knew I'd have months before she could actually start. The week before she was to start, she emailed saying her current company offered her £x and would we match it! I offered slightly more than the original, but not what she was asking. Day before she was due to start, she emailed saying she would decline the job offer.

Hell yes. Just past month - offered temp promotion. Accepted at lunchtime. Realised in the afternoon that they wouldn’t be replacing me so I’d be killing myself trying to cover 2 jobs for about £2k (gross) payrise. Rescinded my acceptance - with reasons - by 5pm.

Yes I have a few times. You've got to do what's right for you

I think most if not all industries would consider it unprofessional to accept then turn it down later down the road unless personal circumstances have changed dramatically. A lot of companies will have started checks if you have accepted outright.

Back to the OP , yes I have and DP has several times. Particularly where their behaviour around offer or interview has raised red flags (missing deadlines for informing etc) or where , which happens quite often in my industry, the job is packaged as more senior than it actually is.

I am a real believer that interviews are a two way street , you are interviewing the company as well so if I see something that is a problem ot will make me consider refusing an offer.

DP once turned down a job offer because it was family owned and an argument in the family occurred at the interview. He ended the interview himself and stated that he didn't think it was a good fit. They somehow then rang him later that day (I was in the room and have never seen him look so confused unless I am talking about cushions) and offered him the role.

They were very surprised when he said no thank you and they asked him why.

I recently withdrew from a recruitment process the day after interview before offer because I was unimpressed with the interviewer who was really aggressive and would have been my boss.

Yes with the job I have now.

I was fortunate enough to have 3 interviews & 3 offers in a week. I actually accepted the one I originally thought I wouldn't but after the interview I just followed my gut instinct.

I turned down the one I thought to be my "dream job" when I applied.

Yes. I applied for a job in a live in fascility for kids with varying disabilities and such like, nothing I’ve done before and completely out of my comfort zone, I was completely honest at interview, said I want to be able to do a rewarding job, but I didn’t know if I had it in me (and spent the best referring to my man handling training before they pointed out my error 😳) I was absolutely stunned and flattered when they offered me the position, however, post interview they showed me round and introduced me to some of the residents etc and I immediately knew I couldn’t do it so I had to sadly turn it down 😔

Yep. Just after Xmas. Same company, different role.

I declined based on the salary offer. HR seemed really offended that I declined their offer based on "financial reasons".

I can't believe I had to explain that it's a perfectly valid reason to decline a job . I enjoy my job but I don't come to work for the fun of it.

My current manager was that relieved I declined he offered me an enhanced role with a salary increase that surpassed the shitty offer by a huge margin.

No regrets whatsoever!

Yes, a few times normally because of the salary. Once because I had a feeling the location would close. I was correct. It’s not a bad thing-employers don’t only interview one person at a time.

Yes, several times. Once after I'd accepted but then felt so unhappy at the thought of doing that job, I had to conclude it wasn't right for me.

You can't get the measure of a prospective employer just from a job advert. The interview is as much for you to find out more about the job, the location and the people you'd be working with as it is for the employer to assess you.

Yes, I accepted a job when I was waiting to be interviewed for another that I really wanted. It must happen all the time when people are actively job-seeking.

Yes, many times.

I go to the interview ask about pay, hours etc.
Not always there in the job offer online. If the amount they offer is too low I decline. If they ask why I am honest and tell them.

Yes a couple of times, for different reasons.
First- was due to start new job when relationship broke up. I knew the best thing for me was to move back to my home city where I had contacts and support.
Second- was due to sign contract and was giving it a final once over when my boss's sister called me, from her bathtub, to have a chat about his "personality traits" (he was a bit of a control freak, liked things certain ways etc). I wasn't really phased about the personality traits as I had worked for numerous interesting and difficult characters but the interference from his family members, and the weirdness of a bath tub phone call put me right off signing!
Third- I was an experienced EA and was offered an assistant role that on the surface seemed great but the more I discussed the role, the more obvious it was they expected me to be assisting in personal affairs ie birthday cards and presents, booking nails/facials, everyday life activities etc, being on call 7 days a week etc. Not really what I was looking for!

Yes!

Yes, mainly because a couple of things weren't quite what I was expecting, primarily the line manager - it was in an existing Client organisation and there was no way I going to work under this particular person! They remained Clients and no hard feelings as far as I could tell.

Yes, plenty of times.
But only before accepting and quite quickly so I didn’t mess anyone about. Interviews are a 2 way process.
I once had one that went well until I had a final interview with my potential boss, I realised really quickly I just couldn’t work for him (checked him out subtly and discovered my gut feeling was correct). When I turned it down I didn’t say why but made something up. They kept coming back with more money and pushing for a reason why , I wasn’t particularly special but was working for a competitor so had lots of useful info. Eventually the big bosses deputy phoned and I had just had enough and said that I couldn’t work for x, he said he didn’t blame me!

Yes. I told my current employer about the job offer and they upped my salary to keep me.

After college I worked in the same job for 24 years before being made redundant and job searching/going for interviews for the first time in my mid 40s.

One job I went to they were really keen as I had the exact skillset and experience they desperately needed and had failed to successfully recruit or retain a couple of times. Interview went great, overran as they even got out reports and we discussed the problems they were having and how I thought they should approach them, lots of enthusiastic "this is is exactly what we need" between them.

Until the end when they asked if I had any questions and I asked the guy who would be my line manager what his management style was. He actually changed pose in his chair, sitting up tall and proud making hand movements to indicate stripes on shoulder, said he had "earned his stripes" and (paraphrasing) when people messed up or didn't do their jobs to his standard these stripes gave him the right to go out (into an open office) and give them a public dressing down. I actually struggled to keep a straight face as it felt a bit unreal like a candid camera show. By this point I knew I couldn't work for him so I challenged this approach but he stuck to his guns but added in not to worry I would be ok . Then I asked him about his team turnover (not surprisingly it was high) and why he thought they left, he still didn't get it. I thanked him for being so honest, for the interview and told him I couldn't work for him.

Kicked myself after as I knew in hindsight my skillset (and age) also meant it would be harder to find a perfect fit too and we needed me to be working even if it was only while looking for something else, but luckily secured a much better role a few weeks later and have been there 8 years now. We are currently in the midst of a reorg and dreading maybe having to go through that again in my mid 50s

@eurochick

I've never asked nor been asked if I'm still interested in the role at the end of an interview. I'd find that really odd.

Me neither, in my experience both parties keep their cards close to their chests. I have also never been offered, never offered myself or never heard of anyone being offered a job at the end of an interview.

OP, yes have turned down job offers, it has never occurred to me that this is an unusual thing to do, thought it was commonplace. Less common to pull out after accepting a job offer and that is not great.

Yes. I got a job and the day after I found out I was pregnant. It's NHS and continuous service so wouldn't have caused me issues but I didn't feel it was fair. I called them to explain my situation and told them I wouldn't want to accept the role knowing they would then also have to source someone else to cover my leave. They were actually very grateful and told me to keep and eye out for any vacancies in future.

Yes. Between the application and interview, the head of department announced they were leaving, and I realised that I probably didn’t want to leave my job but wanted to be away from that poor relationship. Went to the interview anyway and turned down the job offer. I felt guilty, it was in a fairly small sector so I knew the person who got the job I turned down and had to work with the organisation a few times. But it was the right decision. I ended up moving on less than 2 years later but it was a positive step, an organisation/role I really wanted rather than trying to get away from a job I wasn’t enjoying.

Yes. After being made redundant through no fault of my own, I was applying for lots of jobs, and got offered job A, which wasn’t ideal geographically, but I could have made it work so I accepted & signed the contract.

A couple of weeks later, before my start date, I was offered job B, which was much closer to home and clearly the better option, so I had to make a very apologetic phone call to company A. They were not happy, to put it mildly, but however guilty I felt it was definitely the right decision.

Yes many times.

Either because I had more than one offer and could only accept one or because the offer was not right for some reason.

On one occasion they significantly upped the salary offering several times which became very tempting but it just wasn't a direction I wanted to go in (the information pre-interview was misleading, I wouldn't have interviewed if I had known). Sometimes they negotiate if they can, other times they just move to the next candidate.

Twice I have subsequently ended up working at a place where I had previously turned an offer down. Neither time did it cause any problems. I was offered a role in my current company, same team about two years before the role I accepted. I explained that the role was not enough money and too junior, so they called me when they next had a vacancy and I accepted, it has been a great move.