DEAR READERS: I recently spoke with someone who had applied for a job and was preparing for the first interview. Prior to the interview, she heard through the grapevine that the company’s largest client was one owned by someone whose approach to business and social issues were counter to her own. She knew should could never take the job if it involved interacting with this client. How can someone in a similar situation find out if the company really does rely on this client? And, if so, how can they politely and professionally turn down the job if it’s offered to them?
My initial reaction to the situation mirrored the reaction I got when I posed the question to career management specialist Sara Curto of Sara Curto Consulting (saracurto.ca).
“What I really like about this situation is that the individual was clear on what mattered most to her for her career and the types of jobs that support that,” Curto says. “Having this clarity allows us to create some targeted questions to ask during networking and interviews that gives us key information and allows us to make informed choices instead of just accepting a job because it feels good to be wanted!”
Doing some pre-interview homework, of course, is the best way to start.
“Do your research about the company and who they work for/with before going to the interview,” says Michelle Merritt, executive partner of Merrfeld Career Management, who has helped many clients with interview preparation. “Search the company website for press releases and project announcements, and Google the company names together as well as separately to find any information on a potential partnership on news sites or industry blogs.
If you find that a partnership exists with a company of concern, don’t hesitate to ask about it during the interview.
“In fact, ask about the various partnerships they have with outside agencies,” Merritt says. “There’s no need to share a concern during the interview process, but you can certainly learn more about the partners you may be asked to work with.”
That doesn’t mean finding out the specifics of the client situation will be easy. As Curto says, “We don’t want to raise any red flags during the interview process, so we have to be smart in our approach.”
Using “question ladders” — starting with big picture, generalized questions that gradually lead to more probing, specific questions — is one of Curto’s favorite approaches.
“This questioning style is more conversational and natural and allows us to get the information we want with the interviewers almost being none the wiser,” she says. “Instead, they are left with the impression of, ‘Wow, those were some insightful questions!'”
Here’s an example:
Step 1: Big picture question. “While doing my research, I saw that you have a diverse client list. Can you tell me more about what you look for in a client?”
Step 2: Probing question. “Are there specific clients that you do one-off work for and others that you partner with on a more ongoing basis? Who would you say are your largest clients?”
Step 3: Follow-up probing question. “In what capacity will someone in this position work with these clients? Is it focused on one particular client or a variety? How is the client workload determined?”
Step 4: Final probing question. “From my understanding, one of your largest clients is [client name]. Can you tell me more about your work with them? How active would this role be in supporting them?”
So, what if you discover you will have to work with a company you aren’t particularly fond of?
“Take the time to self-reflect on why you don’t like them,” Merritt suggests. “What’s the basis for your feelings? Is it based on rumor or something you read on social media? Is it based on one person’s opinion or is it based in fact? Be sure before you turn down a great offer that the reason you’re doing so is valid.”
If you realize you simply can’t accept the job if it’s offered, don’t waste the company’s time.
“I wouldn’t wait for an offer to refuse. Instead, I would remove myself from consideration,” says Curto, who says a polite and professional way to do that could look like this:
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me, I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions. However, at this time I have decided that this position is not in alignment with my career goals and would like to withdraw my name for consideration.
Again, I’m grateful for the time you and your team took to meet with me and for your continued consideration.
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Merritt concurs.
“If you must decline the offer, it’s better to withdraw from the interview process than to wait until the offer is made. This allows the company to pursue other candidates without losing precious recruiting time,” she says. “A simple email stating that you’ve decided to withdraw from consideration to pursue other opportunities will suffice.”
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Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at [email protected].
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