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I think it's ok for colleges to impose "no exploding offer" because students have less leverage, are still exploring, and are generally hired in larger batches.

I think it's ok for colleges to impose "no exploding offer" because students have less leverage, are still exploring, and are generally hired in larger batches. A company can always hire more people later if they miscount yield. Exploding offers are much more acceptable in the real world. If I have 3 top candidates for a specialized position, and the one I offer takes 2 weeks, I will probably lose the others. They will know thus aren't number 1, and might get offers elsewhere. So allowing the candidate to shop the offer may cost me 6-8 weeks to restart the process. I got burned by this a few days ago. Exloding offers are BS for college hires but not experienced hires.

jzwinck 11y ago
The self interested way to deal with this as an employer would be to give offers to all three and tell them up front that there are multiple offers being sent out and whoever accepts first wins.
- epicureanideal 11y ago
  That's still psychologically stressful for the potential employee, but I'd at least respect it for the honesty (assuming it is in fact an honest statement).
bunderbunder 11y ago
I'm torn on exploding offers for schools. On the one hand, schools usually have a number of potential students on the waitlist, and these folks would certainly like to know that they aren't going to be left hanging indefinitely. On the other hand, exploding offers are absolutely a BS tactic to the extent that a student can accept at one school and then, if they get a later offer from a school they like better, reneg on the acceptance with relatively few consequences. They'll probably be out a tuition deposit, though, which may or may not be a significant burden depending on how wealthy the student's family is. That worries me because it becomes a serious abuse of non-privileged students' relatively vulnerable situations. And even without that, it's certainly still a craven exercise in shaking students down for pocket change.
- mathattack 11y ago
  I'm sorry - I meant colleges imposing "no exploding offers" on corporate recruiters. I recall EDS having a "take it or leave it" policy that scared me away.

jzwinck 11y ago

The self interested way to deal with this as an employer would be to give offers to all three and tell them up front that there are multiple offers being sent out and whoever accepts first wins.

epicureanideal 11y ago
That's still psychologically stressful for the potential employee, but I'd at least respect it for the honesty (assuming it is in fact an honest statement).

bunderbunder 11y ago

I'm torn on exploding offers for schools. On the one hand, schools usually have a number of potential students on the waitlist, and these folks would certainly like to know that they aren't going to be left hanging indefinitely. On the other hand, exploding offers are absolutely a BS tactic to the extent that a student can accept at one school and then, if they get a later offer from a school they like better, reneg on the acceptance with relatively few consequences. They'll probably be out a tuition deposit, though, which may or may not be a significant burden depending on how wealthy the student's family is. That worries me because it becomes a serious abuse of non-privileged students' relatively vulnerable situations. And even without that, it's certainly still a craven exercise in shaking students down for pocket change.

mathattack 11y ago
I'm sorry - I meant colleges imposing "no exploding offers" on corporate recruiters. I recall EDS having a "take it or leave it" policy that scared me away.