When applying for a job, should I mention that I previously declined a job offer from a sister company?

Question

I have applied for a job at Company "A" a few months ago. The recruitment process went smoothly, and at the end I got a job offer. However, I politely declined the offer, since I also got a better offer from another company (doesn't matter which).

Now, I am applying for a job at Company "B", which happens to be a "sister" company of "A" ("B" is a subsidiary of "A"; both are owned by the same parent company).

Should I mention during the recruitment process at Company "B" that I previously got a job offer from Company "A" ? Would it benefit me in any way ? Or is it better not to mention it at all ?

Answer 1

Should I mention during the recruitment process at Company "B" that I previously got a job offer from Company "A"? Would it benefit me in any way? Or is it better not to mention it at all?

Telling me you got an offer from company X in the past tells me nothing. That means for that specific job description, hiring team, and candidates you were selected. I have no idea if you were the best of 20 solid candidates, or the 3rd choice of 5 candidates because the top two already said no.

Even if the offer came from my company, it is a new competition and until I have reviewed all the resumes and conducted all the interviews I have no idea where you rank. That means I have to evaluate your application to see if you will meet the requirements.

Remember anything you put in your resume, application, and cover letter can be the source of a question. If you make too big of a deal about the previous offer, I might have some questions regarding why you rejected the offer.

Answer 2

There's no need to tell them yourself, telling them can limit your chances. However, if they do bring it up, have some sort of explanation prepared for it.