in Hong Kong by Samantha Chan
There are countless career websites or mentors urging candidates to take some time to review a job offer before accepting it.
It turns out mulling over a job offer for too long can burn bridges. More than half of the 225 Hong Kong bosses surveyed have withdrawn a job offer because a candidate took too long to consider the offer.
So, what is an acceptable range for hiring managers?
One to two weeks (40%)
One day to one week (28%)
Two to three weeks (18%)
Three to six weeks (12%)
“In a candidate-short market, in-demand talent can be more selective about the roles they choose to pursue. However, lengthy decision-making times can cause frustration for both candidates and hiring managers. When it comes to filling vacant roles, time is usually of the essence which means hiring managers are inclined to move forward with another candidate if their preferred applicant takes too long to decide,” said Elaine Lam, associate director of Robert Half Hong Kong.
Hong Kong employers indicated these are the most common reason why candidates take so long to make a decision:
Multiple job offers (29%)
Non-competitive salary (26%)
Counteroffer from candidates’ current employer (20%)
A lack of passion about the role (16%)
Unsatisfactory job responsibilities (9%)
Photo / 123RF
This article was first published in Human Resources and is reproduced with permission. Original can be found at https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/how-long-is-too-long-to-sit-on-a-job-offer/