Declining a job offer can be tricky. The reasons for declining it may be various – a better job offer has come through, you have decided to stay where you are, or life has just suddenly thrown something unpredictable at you.

Whatever the reason may be, it is necessary to follow some key steps so you keep your personal reputation intact and importantly, don’t burn your bridges:

1. Make it a priority to talk to the employer or recruiter

Declining a job offer is a difficult thing to do. You could be concerned about letting a recruiter or employer down, or are worried about their reaction. Some people may feel it is easier to send an email to decline the offer and that is probably the case. However, the best way to decline the job – and maintain your reputation – is to ring and talk to the employer or recruiter to let them know you are not accepting their offer. By doing this, you keep the connection personal and give the employer/recruiter the opportunity to ask questions. If you are apprehensive about making a phone call and knowing what to say, it may be helpful to write a brief script to help guide your conversation.

If you are unable to get the recruiter/employer on the phone, you should send an email straight away which explains you are declining the offer and your reasons for it. Include a phone number in the email for the recruiter/employer to ring you, if they choose to.

2. Be appreciative

Recruiting someone to a new role takes a huge amount of time and effort. Undoubtedly, time has been spent reading job applications, shortlisting candidates, organising and conducting job interviews, and discussing and making decisions about the best candidate. As a result, when you are declining the offer, thank the recruiter/employer for the time they have spent on your application and for the opportunity to apply for their job.

3. Provide a brief reason

There is no need to provide huge amounts of detail when providing a reason for declining a job offer. However, it is important to be as honest you can as doing this helps to keep the door open for future opportunities. If you are declining the job because you have received a better offer – and this could be in terms of salary and/or conditions – this is valuable feedback for employers/recruiters as it lets them know what is happening in their industry and the current expectations of candidates.

If the recruiter/employer is still very interested in having you join their organisation, it is possible they will come back to you with another offer to address your concerns with their job. In these instances, take the time to assess this proposal and determine whether it meets your needs. If the job offer still doesn’t meet your requirements, make sure you go back to the employer/recruiter as soon as you can to let them know, and thank them for their additional efforts to improve the offer.

4. Stay in touch

After you have declined a job offer, it is recommended that you stay in contact with the recruiter or employer as this keeps your options open for the future. If you are on LinkedIn, connect with them so they receive any posts or information you share going forward. You can also positively engage with any work-related posts they make about the business or the industry. Your main strategy here is to stay on their radar, as you never know what opportunities might surface in the future!