I received an email that basically said the following (adjusted for anonymity).
The email
I am trying to implement a lot of your ideas in my life about optimizing and improving. I was in a low paying job for years and am trying to improve my financial situation. Hard work is paying off and I have recently had multiple interviews (and even another upcoming interview this week).
I just received a job offer that would improve my current situation and they want a response and signed contract immediately or they will move on to another candidate. I feel I will hear back from the other jobs soon, but it may take a few weeks. While the current job offer would be an improvement, the other potential offer would provide about double that offered income. But there is no guarantee that I receive a better offer.
Should I sign the contract in front of me now and potentially renege in a week or two, or say no to the initial offer and gamble that I will receive a better offer (that doesn't seem like faith; it seems unwise)?
Signing something where I know I will back out if the other offer comes seems like basic dishonesty that is condemned:
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. - Matthew 5:37
Or is it a matter of John 7, where Jesus says he will not go to the feast and then does? You've spoken about how righteousness is optimizing for all scenarios for all time/eternity (perhaps a bad paraphrase). Does this apply to a case like mine?
The response
Employment opportunities offer a surprisingly difficult test of the principle “do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
In the world today, almost all employers will do everything they can to maximize the wellbeing of the company at the expense of the employee, and almost all employees will maximize their own benefit regardless to the expense of the company.
To be in either role and choose to live by the Lord’s principle is to choose to give more than you will be compensated for in the given relationship.
An employer searching for a candidate has a need, spends a lot of money trying to find someone to fill it, and loses a lot of money until it is filled. The actual act of hiring and training costs a great deal. In some jobs, workers don’t actually begin contributing more than they cost for months after their hire.
If you were the employer, you would not appreciate it if someone committed to work for you and then left. That isn’t just lying, it’s stealing too.
In the example you provided, Jesus did not say he would not go ever. He said he could not go now.
All that aside, if I were you, I would immediately contact all other better positions you have applied for, notify them that you have an offer but would strongly prefer working with them, and ask if there is interest in moving towards an offer, and if so, when you would know by.
If you hear from them, it gives you more information to determine how hard you want to push the initial offering company to wait.
In the event that you need to stall, here are some honest tactics:
- If the offer is not in writing, thank them and ask if they could send you an offer letter in writing so that you can carefully review the details. This might buy you a day or two.
- Thank them and ask for a specified amount of time to consider their offer. 3 business days is reasonable. Anything over a week is pushing it.
- Thank them and tell them that you have committed to other interviews and would like a specified amount of time to honor those commitments. This would have to be modified to match your particular details, but is the riskiest move since you are showing preference for other opportunities.
- Hedge your bets by counter-offering a higher salary, and accept the job if they agree. This can create tension in a job from the start, as the employer might feel they are overpaying you. But if your other potential offer is double this one, no amount of salary boosts will get you close.
In your particular situation, a lot of what makes a good decision depends on whether you are presently employed, the odds of getting the other offers, and what they pay compared to each other.
In all of this, don’t forget to include costs of living if these positions are in different places. A nationally high salary in a high cost of living area is much less take home money than half that in a low cost of living area.
I hope this is helpful.