Aussie workers applying for roles as tool to negotiate salary with current employer

Three in five Australian employers are experiencing an increase in the number of workers who turn down a job offer after initially accepting it. Here’s how to avoid being a ‘Goldilocks’.

Aussie workers are backflipping on job offers, pulling out of roles they previously committed to before even having reached their start date.

Exclusive research by recruiter Robert Half reveals two-thirds of Australian workers have rejected, or would be willing to reject, a job offer after initially accepting it.

Experts say there are few serious consequences to the practise, even if it’s in breach of a legally binding employment contract.

But they say the move can damage reputations, making it harder to find work later, and is causing headaches for employers already struggling with worker shortages.

IS IT LEGAL?

Gordon Legal partner Brad Annson says while companies who renege on an employment agreement may face legal action for breach of contract, the same rarely applies to workers who break their promise to start a new role.

“A jobseeker is entitled to accept a job offer knowing that they may later refuse it if they receive a better offer,” he says.

“Depending on whether a legally binding contract exists, there may be possible, but largely theoretical, legal consequences for the jobseeker.’’

Annson says simply saying yes to a job offer is not enough to create a binding contract, which only exists where the terms of employment have been agreed to.

Even where the terms include minimum notice periods for termination, it is “very unlikely” employers would take legal action against any breach, he says.

GOLDILOCKS SYNDROME

Three in five employers are now experiencing an increase in the number of workers who change their mind and turn down a job offer after initially accepting it, the research shows.

In more than half of cases, receiving a better offer is to blame for the about-face, which personal branding strategist and former recruiter Sue Parker describes as the “Goldilocks syndrome”.

”It’s just like Goldilocks in that there’s always something better that comes along,” says Parker, the founder of DARE Group Australia.

Sue Parker, founder of DARE Group Australia.

“But candidates have got to do the right thing. A contract is a bloody contract and there should be consequences for reneging on it without a justifiable reason, (such as) someone died or something.”

Parker says candidates who have any doubts over a role offered to them should consider their response carefully before replying.

“I don’t suggest they say they’re waiting to hear back on a better offer but you’ve got to play the game,” she says.

“Never accept what you’re not sure of.

“Just say: ‘I really appreciate (the offer), that’s terrific. I would like a few days to consider my future before I get back to you’.”

A WASTE OF TIME

Property developer Anthony Pirrottina, who just last week experienced someone reneging on a commitment to come and work with him, says word of a candidate’s backflip soon gets around, damaging future career prospects.

“It’s frustrating. Once you decide something and say you are going to do it, I think you stick with that,’’ says Pirrottina, joint head of Knight Frank Australia’s South Sydney office.

“A lot of it comes down to the character of the person. Once you’ve said yes, you have said yes – at least that’s how I feel.”

Nicole Gorton.

Property developer Anthony Pirrottina.

Robert Half director Nicole Gorton believes many workers now apply for roles with no intention of accepting them and only want to determine what others would be willing to pay them so they can negotiate salary with their current employer.

Candidates also feel they are not to blame for reneging on a role if they receive a better offer, she says.

“But it’s not OK to do that – it wastes everybody’s time, including their own, and everybody’s trust gets broken as a result of that,” Gorton says.

She advises workers wanting to determine their worth in the current market to seek the help of a recruiter rather than apply for roles unnecessarily.

AVOIDING YES BECOMING A NO

Tips for ensuring you don’t have a change of heart about a job offer:

• Never accept or sign an employment contract on the spot if there are other job offers you are waiting to hear from that you prefer.

• Be clear on salary, benefits and the requirements of the role at the first interview rather than wait to get an offer to realise your expectations are different to the prospective employer.

• Recognise that salary is not the only factor when it comes to choosing a role. Job satisfaction, career development opportunities and the people you work with are also important.

• Research the company early on in the recruitment process to ensure its cultures and values align with your own.

Source: Sue Parker and Nicole Gorton

Originally published as Aussie workers applying for roles as tool to negotiate salary with current employer