Exact Answer: Around 2 Weeks
Getting a job these days is difficult for an individual. So is finding a suitable candidate for the vacant position who is actually interested in the job position.
Once a candidate successfully clears all the hiring rounds, they receive an offer letter. A job offer is a kind of a letter which includes all the details regarding the job. The job offer includes all tasks the candidate will be performing if they accept the job offer. It also includes the salary and incentives that would be provided to the candidate if they accept the offer.
However, if a candidate accepts the offer, they may wonder how long after accepting the offer, they can start their job.
How Long After Job Offer To Start?
When a candidate clears all the hiring rounds, and if their profile impresses the management of an organization, the management sends them a job offer. In the Job offer letter, all the particulars about the job are mentioned.
In the job offer letter, the task that will be performed by the candidate, name, and details of the candidate’s immediate supervisor, duration of the job, whether the job is part-time or full-time, salary, etc., is mentioned. In many cases, the Job offer also includes the starting date or joining date as well. In such cases, the candidate can join according to the dates given in the job offer.
In some cases, the Job offer mentions that the selected candidate is supposed to start working from a specific date. In such a case, candidate can start their job on that given date. Although in some cases, the joining date is not one date, but a period. For instance, the job offer may mention that the candidate can join within a week of accepting the job offer.
However, if there is nothing mentioned regarding the joining date, the candidate can approximately join after two weeks of accepting the job offer. They can also directly contact the hiring team asking about the starting date of the job.
In many cases, there is also an expiring date in Job offer, the expiring date means if the candidate does not respond to the team within the period, their offer will be expired.
| Scenario | Joining Time |
| The date is mentioned in the Job Offer | As given in the Job Offer |
| The date is not mentioned in the Job Offer | 2 weeks (maximum) |
Why Does It Take That Long To Start After Job Offer?
When a candidate is selected for a particular job, their resume is re-evaluated. The Human Resource Department does so to make sure that the candidate is suitable for the post or not. If multiple candidates are shortlisted, the management may compare the interaction and the resume of the shortlisted candidates.
When the required candidate is selected and is given the job offer, the management expects them to clearly read the job offer letter and make the decision accordingly. After accepting the job offer the company expects the candidate to start their job.
However, there may be a possibility that the candidate may have applied for a job in some other organization. They may be waiting for a response from that other organization. That could be a reason that a candidate may wish to wait rather than starting their job without delay.
Other than that, if the company has specified the joining date, then the candidate can join from that very date. But, there may be a possibility that the candidate may want to join from the date of their own wish. Then comes the negotiation round. Here, the candidate may negotiate their salary, their workload, and the date of their joining.
It is accepted that a selected candidate can start working from around 2 weeks. However, it is considered a good thing that the candidate themselves approach the organization or the management asking regarding the joining date, even if it is not clearly mentioned in the job offer. As waiting for 2 weeks may be too much for some organizations.
Conclusion
Finding a job for an individual and finding a suitable interested candidate for a job is also hard. When one or more candidates complete all the hiring rounds, they are sent job offers according to the availability of the vacancies.
In most cases, the time of joining is given. Sometimes, the time of expiration of the job offer is given that reflects that after this time, the job offer would become invalid if the organization receives no response from the candidate.
Sometimes, no time is mentioned in the job offer. In such cases, the accepted joining time is up to two weeks. However, it is recommended that a candidate should approach the hiring team and ask or negotiate about the joining date.
References
- https://gradcenter.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/uagc_page/aftertheoffer_2018-9-10.pdf
- https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/16824726
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The details about the job offer are quite useful.
The concept of expiring date in job offers is somewhat intriguing.
It’s amusing how job offers and acceptance work.
Spending around 2 weeks to make a decision should be considered reasonable, I guess.
The negotiation round you mentioned is important and often overlooked by candidates. This is an informative piece.
The management’s perspective on waiting time shows the thoroughness of the hiring process.
Interesting read. I think many candidates will appreciate the information and context provided here.
I agree, the explanation about why it takes time makes sense.
Two weeks seems like a long time to wait after accepting a job offer.
This kind of information can be very useful for candidates who are new to the hiring process.
Waiting 2 weeks to start after accepting the job is ridiculous.