Ask Efri

Should I tell them I have another offer?

Efri · 1 min read

Only if it's real.

Key points
  1. 1.
    If it's real, yes, and it's the strongest position you'll ever be in
  2. 2.
    Don't name the company unless they ask
  3. 3.
    If it isn't real, don't
  4. 4.
    And they might just say "understood, good luck."

If it's real, yes, and it's the strongest position you'll ever be in. Say it plainly, without threatening. "I've got another offer I'm considering. I'd rather be here. Is there room to close the gap?"

Don't name the company unless they ask. Don't invent a number. Do have a decision date, because "I'm weighing options" with no timeline does nothing.

If it isn't real, don't. Two reasons.

You'll get caught. It's a small world, people talk, and references get checked.

And they might just say "understood, good luck." Then you've talked yourself out of a job to win a negotiation.

The softer version that works without a fake offer: "I'm in a couple of processes and I'm trying to make a decision by Friday." True in most job searches, and it creates the same urgency without a lie in it.