It is common to be offered a job over the phone. Many times, the hiring manager will want to verbally tell you about the offer so that they can express their excitement about the potential of you joining the team, gauge your interest, and answer any immediate questions.
Receiving a job offer over the phone is exciting, but can be a bit challenging to navigate because you have to think on your feet a bit.
To that end, this article provides some high level recommendations about what to say when offered a job over the phone.
What To Say When Offered a Job Over the Phone
1. Thank The Caller for The Offer
The first thing that you want to do when receiving a job offer over the phone is to express gratitude for the opportunity. The company chose you over other candidates and is putting its trust and faith in you to do the job, so it’s important to thank them for the opportunity.
2. Express Excitement
In addition to expressing gratitude, you’ll also want to convey excitement about the opportunity. Now, you may not know if you’re going to accept the job offer. Heck, you may not even be that excited about it. However, a hiring manager will want to feel that you’re excited about joining the team, so if you think there’s a chance that you may accept the offer, make sure to convey excitement to the best of your ability.
3. Ask Immediate Clarifying Questions
While you have the hiring manager on the phone, make sure to use that as a chance to ask any immediate clarifying questions about the opportunity. For example, if you have questions about remote work flexibility, or things of a similar nature that are going to be important to your decision making process, it’s good to get those details clarified on the phone.
4. Request the Offer in Writing
As discussed in the how to respond to a job offer post, it’s critical to make sure you get the offer in writing before informing your current manager about the opportunity.
Getting the offer in writing will ensure that you’re aligned on all of the specifics of what’s being offered. It also helps to validate that the hiring manager has all of the details of the offer formally approved by the company.
So before you get off the phone, make sure to ask that the official offer be sent in writing.
5. Ask About a Deadline
The last thing to do when offered a job over the phone is to ask about a response deadline. It’s important to know how much time you have to make a decision so you can plan accordingly and give your current employer ample time to make a counter offer.
It’s also helpful to negotiate the deadline over the phone so you can avoid a situation where you need to request more time to consider the job offer.’
Should You Accept the Job Offer Immediately?
In general, no, you should not immediately accept a job offer. And that’s particularly when the offer is given over the phone.
There are a couple of primary reasons for that. The first is that prior to accepting a job offer, you’ll want to make sure that you have the offer and all of the details in writing. That will ensure that the offer is approved and legitimate and that you can review all of the specifics.
The second is that you’ll want some time to reflect on the offer after the initial emotion has worn off. That will enable you to evaluate if it’s truly the right fit for you and decide how you want to approach a potential counter offer and salary negotiation.
If you’re in a position where you need to negotiate salary, this video from Linda Raynier provides six helpful tips for how to do so:
Conclusion
It can be tricky to know what to do when offered a job over the phone. You won’t have as much time to think about what you’re going to say in a phone conversation versus email communication. That said, if you follow the tips above, you can handle the situation professionally and effectively.
