Just Got Job Offer Taken Away From Me

[imomtimestwo]

What is the name of your state? massachusetts

Hi

I will try to make this as short as possible and also as clear as possible.

I had applied for a position several months ago and after being told that I was the final candidate for this position I declined two other opportunities along the way.

After being told that I was going to receive a job offer, waiting patiently for it and trying to follow up with the manager, I took it upon myself to email the VP of the department. I did this in an effort to make them aware of the time that had gone by (and not getting any response back) and how I at that time declined a job because I was awaiting to receive my offer from them. I also sent the email not with the intent to get a job offer from the organization but to express how I thought they needed to review how they handled their candidates.

The next day I received an email back from the VP in which he stated I would be hearing back from the manager that I had been dealing with. Sure enough I get an email and job offer from that person. I expressed how I sent the email to the VP because I felt that things should and could have been handled better and so forth....

So I end up getting a job offer and accept and after sending the manager an emailing announcing my start date. I also asked about the dress code (which after being home for several years turned out to be a professional dress code). Let me tell you I was stressing over this dress code especially since I have been home (a stay at home mom) and able to wear whatever I wanted. The thought of having to dress up every day gave me a headache and also meant having to buy new clothes due to having lost my pre-pregnancy figure (a bit).

So after I announced my start date to her, I had a question and instead of trying to touch base with the manager, I called the department secretary to verify that there would be an area in which my lunch could be kept. I also verified the dress code with her. I wanted to be sure that the clothing that I had purchased was along the same lines as to what others were wearing.

I also called another person within the department that I had interviewed with several months ago when I went in for my interview (someone who would be training me). I asked if she had remembered who I was (as it had been a while since we had talked). I also explained to her that I had sent an email to the manager announcing my start date and that I had not heard from her (my start date was 5 days away)and if that manager had been in the office. I also was bascially looking to find out if someone knew I was coming on board which would indicate to me that the manager received my email. She indicated that she knew and that they were looking forward to it. So I basically ended the conversation with looking forward to seeing you on Monday.

The next day I get a phone call from my soon to be manager in which she tells me that she doesn't think that this is going to be a good fit based upon my actions. She was asking me why I was questioning her whereabouts, why I asked if the other manager remembered who I was and wasn't her email to me in regards to dress code clear and in that I called the secretary to inquire about it again.

I was beside myself after getting off the phone with this person and am totally disgusted with her actions especially since I have put a lot into this. I had purchased new clothing, made child care arrangements and declined other opportunities.

What also blows my mind is that the department secretary bothered to tell this person of my call.

Obviously, the offer was not declined due to the fact that I was not qualified for the position or based upon information gathered from my references.

If you are all wondering what type of environment I would be working in, it is within the Human Resources department of a hospital (can you believe it).

I am looking for feedback on your thoughts in regards to the whole event and if anything should I write a letter to the President of the hospital in regards to my experience.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[krispenstpeter]

Since this is a legal forum I will answer that aspect of your situation first.

What the hospital did, in this case, through the manager, was not illegal. In fact, until you signed an employment contract there was no job.

Now, as to the events. You are your own worst enemy. Not only did you stop your job search based on a maybe, and yes, that's ALL you had until the job was offered, you decided to take it upon yourself to call everyone you could think of INSTEAD of your manager.

I don't blame her/him for being a little pissed and questioning your motives. If they knew you were coming and if you knew you were going, had been told what the dress code was then you should have shown up for work and had your questions answered at that time.

Next time direct your questions to the person responsible for answering them and do not wait around for ONE job. If you have other offers write back or call the job you really want and ask for a progress on your application based on the fact that you have other offers you need to consider.

This will get more action than what you did.

 

[HomeGuru]

Writer, drop it and find another job.

 

[Beth3]

Frankly, if I were dealing with an external candidate who did what you did - bypassing the hiring manager on multiple occasions, sending the VP an e-mail basically complaining about the hiring manager and how the company handled things, complaining to the hiring manager again about it after an offer had been extended, contacting someone else in the department complaining about not hearing from the hiring manager post offer, etc. - I would conclude you were going to be a pain in the fanny once actually employed and seriously reconsider whether this was going to work.

Yes, it would have been nice if the manager had been more responsive and contacts more timely however the big mistake you repeatedly made was going around the hiring manager again and again. I'm not surprised she decided to pull the offer.

Feel free to write a letter of complaint to the President of the hospital. All it's going to do is confirm their belief that they made the right decision to pull the offer.

I strongly suggest you do not repeat these actions next time you are interviewing for a position.

 

[justvisiting]

Just to add something - your call to a staff member to make sure there was a place to put your LUNCH was silly, as was all the concern about what to wear. Were you not observant enough at your interview to see what people were wearing?

You essentially registered a complaint about the person who was gioig to be your boss (via e-mail to a VP!!) before you even got on payroll and warmed the seat of your chair. I'm surprised you were not taken out of the running right then and there.

As someone else said, you are your own worst enemy.

You overstepped your bounds and you bothered too many people. The general consensus at the company was that you were a pain in the butt to deal with. Let that be a learning experience, and for God's sake, wait until after you've started to find out where to put your LUNCH.

 

[StacyLB]

Word of advice, calm down the next time you think there's a job offer coming. Sounds like this manager would have been too laid back for you!

Learn from this experience--this job was likely not a good fit for you either.