Offer management – how to choose from multiple job offers

With the finance job market being at its most buoyant in many years the modern candidate has a lot more to contemplate when approaching the market and finding their next job. We are seeing new jobs on the market outpace the number of quality candidates, meaning that many roles and skill sets are in high demand. As a result many of our candidates are receiving multiple offers and are having to make tough decisions about the next step in their career. Matthew Bettesworth, Business Manager at Page Personnel Finance specialises in placing part qualified, finalist and transactional finance roles and has years of experience in helping his candidates to choose the right role.
Whether you are an ACCA finalist, an accounting & finance graduate or even a school leaver choosing the right role can be difficult. Currently our entry and graduate level candidates as well as those with up to two/three years of professional experience, are particularly sought after. Roles for trainee accountants and accounts assistants are in high demand with clients appreciating the amount of value these positions can add to their team. Clients also recognise that someone entering the business at this level, looking for the chance to progress and earn qualifications, can add a great deal of value to the business in the long term.
We have noticed that more and more candidates are receiving multiple offers from the various interviews they have attended. Having multiple offers is obviously a great position to be in but the decision on whether to accept a lone offer and leave your current position can be tough enough, let alone when you have multiple offers to choose from. Picking the right offer is a crucial decision and to do that you’ll need to consider how your motivations for moving will be matched by each offer.
Motivators – You need to keep these at the front of your mind the whole time you are looking for a new role. From the outset it is advisable to get a clear picture of what your motivations for moving are. Many candidates can be blinded by promises or large salaries, impressive office spaces or lavish work social events. In these instances it is vital to keep your motivations at the front of your thinking. It’s all very well if your new company throws lavish parties but if they don’t actively support your professional development you will be on the move again before you know it.
  • Growth and training – if you are part qualified or at a graduate level then no doubt you will be concerned with completing your qualifications. Many companies are more than willing to assist you in doing so and may even offer to pay for exams, and give you the time you need to study. Also worth consideration is how much practical experience you are likely to get in the role; will you be learning on the job and trained in the office? It is not just about passing exams, you need practical experience as well.
     
  • Career progression - if you are at that two to three year experience level you are still in high demand. At this point you will likely be looking to take the next step in your career. It’s important to ensure that this step has the potential to be one of many; a company where there is space to grow should be high on your list of priorities. 
     
  • Workplace environment – consider how much you learned about your potential colleagues and managers during your interview process. Do you see yourself working well with those potential colleagues in the long term? What is the management style and does it fit with how you like to work? Aim to meet as many people as you can during your interview process and make sure you do your research on the company.
     
  • Work/life balance – Work/life balance is incredibly important as for a lot of candidates in this position it could in fact be their first role after leaving full-time education. It can be quite the adjustment to make! This can be particularly important if you are study for a qualification and may need to attend evening classes.
     
  • Salary / package – Ensuring that you receive the full breakdown of the package and timeframes for when certain perks may kick in will be essential. If earning good money is one of your key motivators, do the salary and perks meet your expectations now and when you move forward with your career?
How your recruiter can help – managing multiple offers is what we are trained to do and we talk to candidates and clients every day about this very thing. At Page Personnel Finance we do not try to shoehorn candidates into a role with our clients; our reputation is at stake with every position we fill and only the best fit will do. We offer a consultative approach so that we can really get to the bottom of our candidate’s motivators. We do the same with our clients which allows us to match people and companies where both parties are happy with the fit; this is the most important factor at work.
Being specialists within the finance field we really do know the market and what each role requires of a candidate. We know our clients and their priorities, and we can get to the bottom of what motivates both client and candidate. This is very important when supporting the tough decision making process when a number of offers are on the table, especially when one of them is the dream move.
For a confidential discussion about your career options contact Matthew Bettesworth, Business Manager at Page Personnel Finance.
Matthew Bettesworth
T: +44 207 776 5961