01
Start by making the offers comparable.
Two offer letters rarely present information in exactly the same way. One may lead with annual base pay, while the other emphasises a bonus, benefits or a monthly figure. One may describe the working pattern clearly, while the other leaves it to a conversation.
Before you judge either offer, put both on the same footing:
- Use the same time period for pay.
- Separate base pay from bonus, commission or other variable pay.
- Mark benefits as guaranteed or discretionary.
- Compare the usual working pattern and expected hours.
- Compare annual leave on the same basis.
- Record the contract type, term and any conditions that matter to you.
The aim is not to reduce two jobs to a spreadsheet. It is to stop presentation differences from looking like real differences.
OFFER A
More certainty and a clearer path
- Higher guaranteed pay
- More office time
- Clear progression path
- Longer commute
OFFER B
More time and flexibility
- More flexibility
- Shorter commute
- More annual leave
- Progression less clear
Neither offer wins every category. The useful comparison is the combination of gains, costs and unknowns that each creates.
02
Separate what you know from what you're assuming.
An unanswered detail can quietly turn into a reassuring assumption. That makes the offers look more complete than they are.
Written in the offer or clearly confirmed by the employer.
Important information you do not have yet.
Your interpretation of a vague phrase or informal conversation.
If Offer A says “hybrid”, that does not tell you how many office days are expected, whether those days are fixed or whether the policy can change. Until you ask, those details are unknown rather than flexible.
03
Compare more than salary.
Salary is a real difference, but it is not the only difference with a cost or value. Compare the same areas for both offers so that an attractive headline does not hide a harder working week, a longer commute or a less certain arrangement.
Use the areas that are relevant to your decision. Household impact may be central for one person and irrelevant for another. Gut feeling is not proof, but it can point towards a concern or question you have not yet named.
04
Decide what matters most to you.
Not every difference deserves equal weight. Choose around three factors that could genuinely change your decision, such as earning more, career progression, work-life balance, flexibility, stability or household impact.
There is no correct set of priorities. The point is to be honest about what you want this move to improve and what you need it to protect.
05
Look at the trade-offs.
Most real job decisions involve gaining something and giving something up. Naming both sides makes the choice clearer without pretending it is simple.
OFFER A GIVES YOU
Higher guaranteed pay and clearer progressionBUT COSTSMore commuting time and more office days
OFFER B GIVES YOU
More flexibility, leave and time at homeBUT LEAVESProgression less certain
A trade-off is not automatically a warning. It tells you what you would be choosing, not which choice you should make.
06
Write down what could change your decision.
Some missing details are useful to know. Others could reverse your preference. Give the second group priority.
For each unknown, ask: If the answer were different from what I hope, could it change which offer I choose?
That might include the exact office expectation, how a bonus is measured, salary review timing, probation terms, expected working hours or the real scope of the role. If the answer could change the decision, confirm it before deciding where possible.
07
Ask the unanswered questions.
Uncertainty is not automatically negative. It is simply information you may still need. Ask questions that are specific enough to produce a useful answer:
- How many office days does the team normally work, and are they fixed?
- How is the bonus measured, and which parts are guaranteed?
- What would good performance in the first six months look like?
- When is salary normally reviewed?
- What hours does the team usually work during an ordinary week and during busy periods?
- Which responsibilities are confirmed for this role from the start?
Record the answer beside both offers. Do not rely on memory to keep two similar conversations separate.
08
Don't wait for a perfect offer.
The goal is not to find an offer with no downsides. It is to understand what improves, what gets worse, what remains uncertain and whether those differences fit what matters to you.
Once the important facts are comparable, the decision may still feel close. That does not mean the comparison failed. It may mean both offers are viable and the final choice depends on the trade-off you would rather make.
YOUR TWO-OFFER CHECKLIST
Put the same facts in the same columns.
Use this as a starting point. Add the priority that is specific to your life.
Scroll to compare
| Factor | Offer A | Offer B | Matters to me? | Still need to confirm? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||||
| Bonus | ||||
| Benefits | ||||
| Hours | ||||
| Annual leave | ||||
| Working pattern | ||||
| Commute | ||||
| Progression | ||||
| Contract certainty | ||||
| Other priority |