Job offer - or not?

I interviewed at a *major* global telecom company last week and the Executive Director said he would like to offer me a job but needed HR to discuss the salary with me. Into a conference room with the HR rep who told me that couldn't pay $X but could pay $Y. I said that was not a problem and I verbally accepted the verbal offer. I had also completed and turned in the job application at the company upon arrival. The HR rep indicated he'd get busy setting up the "medical" and get in touch with me shortly.

So I waited, and waited, and called him today. The HR guy said there were some internal candidates they had to interview still so things were not 100% complete. I told him I had declined another opportunity (which was accepted by another candidate) yesterday and I don't understand given we had agreed on salary and I had accepted the offer.

I'm shocked at this behavior from a global corporation given it is a rather senior position they extended the offer for. Do I have any recourse if they leave me in the dark and don't put pen to paper?

Thanks!

JobSeeker

I'm not sure if their confirmation that they could pay 'y' would be construed as an offer of a job.

As you say it was an interview stage and I would presume the interview process is not over yet. They will probably seek to find someone with your skillset who is willing to accept less than you are looking for.

Unless you have a formal offer on paper or email I would think you are in a waiting game. You may get a second or third interview to follow.

Ok, but to clarify, the HR rep (verbally) extended the offer for "Y" which I said was fine and I accepted that salary.

The next steps were to be to him to obtain signatures on an offer letter and to schedule a medical (read: drug test).

Given this is a multi-billion dollar global company I know offers do not just get extended and then internal candidates creep out of the woodwork to interview - I do have a feeling there are internal politics at play but don't know the best posture to take when talking with HR again. Should I play it firm with a we had a deal, or understanding and wait? Personally, when I shake hands, it's a deal.

Its a tough one but I doubt youve any recourse, nothing in writing. I wouldnt decline anything else (definitely not hand in resignation in current job, if applicable) until I got the contract from the new place, there is too much uncertainty at the moment.

jobhunter said:

Given this is a multi-billion dollar global company I know offers do not just get extended and then internal candidates creep out of the woodwork to interview

Click to expand...

How do you know this? It is often cheaper to promote internally than hire an external candidate, in any company.

How do you know this? It is often cheaper to promote internally than hire an external candidate, in any company.

(IMO) An HR rep will not negotiate salary, discuss a start date, discuss best number to reach you to schedule a medical (urine test), and then tell you they should have called you to tell you there were some internal candidates that they forgot they had to interview. That's unprofessional and unethical. My background and references are all clean and solid.

Definitely not the best start to an employment relationship regardless.

Until you are told "The contract is in the post", then nothing is certain.
Budgets may have been cut, internal candidates may have come forward through the external process and be preferred.
Just cos they asked you what your salary expectations are, means nowt. It's a comparison to other candidates.
HR do not hire anyone without the go-ahead of the hiring manager. Perhaps you mistook HRs approach as an actual offer ?
It does sound a little amateurish I have to say, but there you go.
Good luck anyway, hope it turns out werll for you.

I thought about the professional and proper course of action to take for a long time. So I went "around" the HR guy and called the Executive Director to reaffirm my interest in working for him and the company but that it appears something is delaying progress in HR. The Exec Dir said the salary that was offered was higher than he could pay - BINGO - the HR guy's mouth wrote a check that his <butt> couldn't cash.

Next call, HR guy and told him I discussed salary with the Exec Dir and it appeared the amount he (HR) verbally offered and I verbally accepted were above the budget. Now that it is clear I proposed we discuss the budgeted salary as well as the fact that I understood the position he (HR) was in and that I'd accept that lower amount.

I'm happy to say things are now back on track.

What I learned: people make mistakes and each of us controls our own destiny to some extent. I chose to take a calm, direct approach to the man that will be my future boss, calmly and clearly expressed my confusion and concern, and then took it to the HR rep that made a verbal offer that could not be honored and provide him a way out that I offered and said I understood.

Thanks to all who posted responses. Indeed, a verbal offer is a good as the paper it's written on. It's a sad thing to accept when you're a person who will do a deal on a handshake but that's reality and today's economy.

Good news! How did you manage to get hold of the executive director of a *major* global telecom company? I used to work for Ericsson and the hope of talking to the above person would be squat?!!