Assignment Content Read the article and answer the questions that follow Offer and Acceptance Etiquette {DOC} 1. Is the "supposal" as the author describes a legal offer? Why or why not? 2. If a employer makes an offer to a candidate of 50k and the candidate counte roffers for Mk. if the employer rejecls. can the employee auto macally accept the original offer? Why or 1why not. 3. If an employer makes an offer of 50k to a candidate and the candidate says "I accept, but only if you also give me a 10k signing loon us." Has the offer been accepted and is the employer legally loo und? Why or Why not? Companies & Industries I was puzzling over this in an online HR forum, wondering how any recruiters or hiring Now, I still think that three days is a reasonable span over which to consider an offer. But with managers could be so stingy with their time to avoid putting in writing the details of a complex the supposal technique, a recruiter or hiring manager can rest assured that if the candidate doesn't Offer-and-Acceptance Etiquette job offer. One participant said to me: "But job offers are so dicey! You have no idea whether the accept, it won't be because of some grave error or insult on the employer's part person will accept. Do you want to keep putting offers in writing, only to have to rewrite them over and over as you negotiate with the candidate?" And to my HR friends, a reminder: Patience is a virtue. The people who are meant to work for By Liz Ryan February 24, 2006 you will end up with you, whether they take 10 minutes or a week to accept your offer. Go have I was thunderstruck. Now, hold on a minute, I typed. Do you mean to say that when you make an a cup of coffee, and relax. offer, that's the first time that you've discussed salary with the candidate? That, with a "ta-da!" Recruiters and job seekers can reach an agreement more quickly and comfortably by employing flourish, you present the offer for the first time? Liz Ryan is an expert on the new-millennium workplace and a former Fortune 500 HR executive. a technique called a "supposal" She can be reached at liz@asklizryan.com. "Well, of course," wrote back my correspondent. "When else would you discuss it? We already Job seekers often call me and say: "How much time can I ask for to evaluate a job offer?" know the candidate's salary history. He finds out what we're planning to pay him when we make he offer over the phone." Well, how much time do you want? I'd say two or three days is standard, unless the weekend is coming, in which case you can ask for the weekend, too. "Oh, my goodness," said one young JUST SUPPOSE. man. "The recruiter balked when I asked for 24 hours." That blew me away. Maybe, when I'm old and tired of traveling, I'll open an HR academy and That sounded so crazy that I had to probe. Once I got the whole story, I realized that the young teach some basic things. No, no, no, I wrote back. When you make an offer, there should be no man wasn't asking how much time he could take to review his offer letter. He didn't have one. surprises. You don't jump out of a giant cake and say, "Here's what we decided to offer you!" The recruiter, in fact, was phoning to collect his acceptance first. The candidate should know that before he gets your offer. This is really silly. When you're evaluating an offer, you have to look over all of the parts Here's how you accomplish that. Late in the interviewing process, you'll offer a "supposal." A together. You can't be expected to say yes on the phone when the recruiter tells you, "We'd like supposal is a conversation that goes this way: "We like you, and it seems that you like us. to hire you as a program analyst at X salary, Y bonus, Z amount of travel, and with our standard Suppose we were to make you an offer. What would it have to look like, in order for you to benefits package." Whaaat? You need the offer letter to see the entire picture. accept?" GET IT IN WRITING Or you say, "Suppose we were to make you an offer for this many dollars. How would that strike you?" That's when you negotiate. Now, a supposal is not a job offer. You will make that clear. A A young friend of my sister just got a job offer. My sister and I, who both looked at his letter, supposal discussion should determine whether compensation issues will be an obstacle. This is had different, substantive questions about the structure of the bonus plan and such items. And we where you iron out those details, or decide that you and your candidate aren't destined to hook are management types with many years of experience. How is a young person -- or any person, Ip. for that matter -- supposed to evaluate all of the elements of a modern-day, white-collar job offer over the phone? MIND-MELD MODE. Here's why human-resources people want you to say "I accept!" before they put an offer on If you get the supposal stuff behind you before making an offer, then the offer conversation will paper: They don't want to waste their time. Also, they don't want to get approval for an offer, be short and anticlimactic. The candidate will say something like: "Yep, that's pretty much what then have to explain a few days later: "He didn't accept." They want a guarantee ahead of time. we talked about. Sounds great on the phone -- let's get it on paper, and I'll look it over." If you, That isn't their privilege, though. the hiring manager or HR person, can't take that as an acceptance, you might be too tightly wound. You need time to reflect on the offer. When the recruiter tells you, "I can't put this in writing unless you accept now," it's perfectly reasonable to say, "I would love to, but I can't evaluate Of course, your candidate may still negotiate with you. That's life in the big leagues. But you your offer based just on this discussion. I need to see the specifics on paper. I have that kind of won't risk offending him -- or having to rewrite the offer letter a dozen times -- if you're in mind- mind." Then be silent. It is O.K. -- in fact, it's perfectly proper -- to force the issue. meld mode before you draft a letter. FULL DISCLOSURE