Contractors- dealing with concurrent offers.

[oobie38]

Two offers on the table, both going through onboarding paperwork at the moment, differing pluses and minuses to each contract, but 90% certain of which is preferable-is it bad form to keep both in play until I've received contracts to sign?
Have been burnt before, with an offer withdrawn at the last moment due to budget constraints, but this is the first time I've had concurrent offers.

[sociopath]

You haven't had an official offer until you have the contract in your mitts and they've signed it.

Been there, done that, had my fingers burnt.

[Ranger 6]

oobie38 said:

....is it bad form to keep both in play until I've received contracts to sign?

I would say yes, it's bad form, but I understand why you're doing it.

It's a case of burning your bridges with the company and agency you turn down as they will have been through a stack of work getting contracts, POs, SoWs etc all signed off. They won't want to deal with you again as you will have let them down.

[oobie38]

hmm, one reply each way,ish.
No easy answer is there, guess I'd hoped for a 'this is what I usually do in this situation...' reply, but not going to get one, am I.

[Piersman2]

Nothing counts until the paperwork is signed.

People taking alternative offers at the last moment is nothing unusual, the agency/client may not be happy, but it's just part of the process, a certain number of candidates only let the client know thay are not taking the job when they don't appear in the office on the monday morning start date!

Let both proceed, hope the one you want the most is the first to come in!

Amazing how often a client MUST have someone next week. You get the verbal offer, and then the client takes 4 weeks to sort their paperwork out. Not good for them if you have something else brewing.

[dmahon]

It’s better to be transparent during the process is that you have other offers in play so need paperwork ASAP.

It’s a bit late now as it will come out of the blue, but it’s worth some transparency through the process in future to avoid letting people down.

[Venturist]

dmahon said:

It’s better to be transparent during the process is that you have other offers in play so need paperwork ASAP.

It’s a bit late now as it will come out of the blue, but it’s worth some transparency through the process in future to avoid letting people down.

Agreed with this - also absolves your conscience as you’ve been transparent with them. If they didn’t get their act together before the other guys did then you can shrug and say no hard feelings.

[AyBee]

Doesn't "offer on the table" refer to the act of having a contract on a table to sign? That might be wrong, but until you have a contract to sign, I wouldn't consider it a done deal. All it takes is for the wrong one to fall away and you're out of work for a bit longer.

[spikeyhead]

Ranger 6 said:

oobie38 said:

....is it bad form to keep both in play until I've received contracts to sign?

I would say yes, it's bad form, but I understand why you're doing it.

It's a case of burning your bridges with the company and agency you turn down as they will have been through a stack of work getting contracts, POs, SoWs etc all signed off. They won't want to deal with you again as you will have let them down.

If every agency refused to work with someone that turned down an offer, none of them would have anyone on their books.

[DeejRC]

Why not take both contracts and negotiate them as Work Packages?

[BIG MOLE]

spikeyhead said:

Ranger 6 said:

oobie38 said:

....is it bad form to keep both in play until I've received contracts to sign?

I would say yes, it's bad form, but I understand why you're doing it.

It's a case of burning your bridges with the company and agency you turn down as they will have been through a stack of work getting contracts, POs, SoWs etc all signed off. They won't want to deal with you again as you will have let them down.

If every agency refused to work with someone that turned down an offer, none of them would have anyone on their books.

^This^

I have been in a similar position in the past with agencies, where I have taken a last minute offer from agency A over a role that I had all but accepted from Agency B. I have been told by Agency B in such situations that they will never deal with me again, only to be contacted by them within a few weeks regarding a new opportunity. Most agencies/recruiters are, depending on your view point, thick skinned or shallow. If you have the skills and availability to make them money, they will always be interested in you.