What is a Slap-in-the-Face Job Offer? Should You Accept it?

Getting a job these days is a tough task. Skills and experience are some major factors to get a secured job. Many freshers face difficulties in finding a job that is secure and high paying. Now suppose you get a job offer, that offers many benefits with a decent monthly salary, and you accept that offer because of the facilities and features the job offers. 

You arrived for the interview, but now things are completely opposite, the interviewer is now offering you a very low salary compared to the offered one and the job facilities are gone. This type of job offer can be referred to as a slap-in-the-face job offer.

A slap-in-the-face job offer is an offer that undervalues your skills and experience or is unexpectedly below your expectations. This type of job offers can make you feel undervalued or can make you doubt yourself.

How to Identify a Slap-in-the-Face Job Offer

These offers can be identified by observing the following factors:

Low salary: The provided salary can be very low according to your position and experience or compared to your expected salary package.

May place you in a lower position: The company may place you in a lower position compared to your experience and workability, which may not be a suitable position for you. For example, you are a chemistry teacher with 5 years of experience, but you are assigned to teach only the kindergarten and nursery classes.

Minimal benefits: The job may offer barely any additional benefits to you. If the job offers barely provide any benefits to you, then it’s a red sign that you should not accept the offer.

Long Hours and Unreasonable Workload: The job offer might say it is challenging or fast-paced, but the reality is that you have to work long hours and have to manage the workload balance alone.

Bait-and-switch tactics: The job offer may promise you something beneficial at the starting, but the actual job can be different. This is a bait and switch technique, where they offer something good and attractive, but in the end, they offer you something else. This is a common thing in a slap-in-the-face job offer.

People share their experience regarding these types of offers on platforms like Quora. Here are some popular stories people have shared:

What Should you do if you Receive a Slap in the Face Job offer?

If you receive such types of offers, then don’t be afraid or hesitate to negotiate and make a counter offer that satisfies your needs and requirement. This will reflect that you are confident in your abilities and know your worth.

But if the negotiation fails then you can politely decline the offer or accept the offer if you want. But it is important to value yourself and there are various job opportunities available in the market that can give you a respectful job offer matching your skills and experience.

Remember to place your self respect before the job and wait for a good opportunity that will value your presence and work in the company.

Why Companies Gives such Type of Offers

There are several reasons companies give such type of offers. Sometimes the company takes advantage of employees who are in desperate need of a job and gives them such offers. In other scenarios, the company may be unaware of the skills and experience you have in the field and may underestimate you. Or maybe the company can be in some financial problems which makes it very difficult for them to provide a good job offer to the new employees.

Why Some People Accept these Job Offers

There are several reasons people accept these offers:

Lack of awareness: New employees in the market don’t have a proper understanding of the job market and are unaware of their value and industry standards, which makes them accept the offer. It is important to do research before accepting any job offer on website like Indeed and Glassdoor to identify the true value of your skills in the market.

Lack of skills and abilities: Some people lack the knowledge or skills required for a stable and secure job, which makes them accept any kind of job offer they receive from the employer.

Competitive job market: The competitive job market is one of the main reasons that even qualified professionals are having difficulties getting a proper job. After doing so much research and getting rejected by the big companies, the employees have to accept these job offers in pressure to avoid unemployment.

Desperate need for a job: Some people are desperately in need of a job for certain reasons, like loan repayment and an immediate need for money, and accept any job offer to fulfill their certain needs.

Afraid to negotiate: Some people are underconfident and are afraid to negotiate with the employer regarding the job offer, may be because of their shyness or anxiety and accept any offer still if it’s doesn’t match their market value or requirements.