Communications Specialist for Insperity Recruiting Services, specializing in employment branding and recruitment marketing.
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For anyone looking for a new job, there are few things more disappointing than receiving an offer, followed by news that the offer has been withdrawn. Not only does this put job seekers on an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows, but it could cause them to resign from their current job prematurely, leaving them unemployed while adversely affecting their finances, relocation plans or relationship with their recent employer.
Prior to Covid-19, unemployment was at a 50-year low and employers were looking to grow their workforce. Over the past year, however, many businesses have been forced to close or downsize. As a result, job seekers may see more job rescindments as employers’ hiring plans abruptly change.
While there’s no way candidates can ensure they’ll never be the victim of a rescindment, there are steps they can take during the job search process to safeguard against it, as well as steps to recover should they be unfortunate enough to experience it. Let’s look at a few.
Research The Company
Most job seekers know the importance of researching a company before an interview. Knowing the company’s history, products or services, culture and competitors is essential to set oneself apart from other job applicants. However, there are other reasons to research a prospective employer — namely, financial stability. Is the company financially secure, or is it struggling? Perhaps it has been in the news recently after announcing budget cuts and downsizing. Or perhaps there are several negative Glassdoor reviews by individuals who were offered a job, only to have it rescinded without warning. These things won’t always be publicized, and researching the company can’t guarantee a job withdrawal won’t occur. However, if the writing is on the wall and job seekers are faced with multiple options, this information can prevent them from making a decision they’ll later regret.
Get It In Writing
Obviously, the worst time to receive notice of a job offer withdrawal is after resigning from a current position. In order to avoid breaks in employment, the safest bet for job seekers is to not notify their current employer that they plan on leaving until after receiving a written offer from a prospective employer. While even this won’t fully protect candidates from a rescindment, it can mitigate the chances by giving the employer pause before withdrawing an offer that they took the time to formalize. Also, it goes without saying that candidates should delay any plans for relocation until all details have been finalized and the job offer has been signed.
Act Professionally
While a job offer can be rescinded for any number of reasons, one common reason may result from a candidate’s unprofessional or unpredictable behavior. Once an employer extends an offer, they want to feel confident they made the right decision and are hiring someone who is enthusiastic about becoming part of the team and will make a valuable contribution. Candidates should be wary of posting anything negative about their future or past employers on social media or suddenly trying to renegotiate their salary after signing the offer. This behavior is a red flag for employers, who may decide it’s in their best interest to cut ties with a candidate rather than risk proceeding with a bad hire.
Seek Feedback
In the event job seekers find themselves on the receiving end of a rescindment, the first thing they should do is inquire about the reason. If it’s due to the company restructuring or the position being eliminated, candidates should ask about other opportunities for which they might be a fit. However, if the job was withdrawn because of the company’s financial difficulties, candidates may consider themselves lucky to have avoided joining a struggling company and a possible future layoff. Also, if the job was rescinded because of a candidate’s actions, this feedback can help prevent repeating the same mistakes as they continue the job search.
Don’t Burn Bridges
Even if candidates do everything right in their job search, there are no guarantees that a job offer won’t fall through. The best course of action is to always maintain good relations with former managers and co-workers. Employers understand that good employees need to progress, which sometimes means leaving the company. That doesn’t change the fact that good employees are often hard to find, which is why so many of those who leave a company are welcomed back as “boomerang rehires.” Showing courtesy and respect throughout the resignation and offboarding process can provide some insurance should a job offer be rescinded and a candidate wants to return to their previous job.
Leverage Your Network
For candidates who are unfortunate enough to experience an offer withdrawal and have exhausted all options with their previous employer, those with a strong professional network will find it invaluable in reentering the workforce. This isn’t limited to those whose offer was rescinded, but to any active job seeker. Once an individual is unemployed, regardless of the reason, the strength of their industry connections will often decide the speed at which they reenter the workforce. Employees should cultivate their network as much as possible so that if they ever fall victim to a rescindment, they can turn to their connections for job referrals, leads and recommendations.
As disappointing as losing a job offer may be, it could be viewed as a blessing in disguise by job seekers who narrowly avoid working for a financially unstable company. For others, it could be viewed as a learning experience as to what not to do during the application and interview process. And finally, there are those who will never know why their offer was rescinded, and it will remain an unfortunate risk associated with climbing the corporate ladder. Regardless, job seekers should remember that an offer isn’t official until it’s signed, and until then, they should keep their search efforts moving forward.
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