Offer Letter Surprise?

[Liz Ryan]

Dear Liz,

I have been interviewing for administrative positions since mid-July,
have received one offer that was underwhelming (I didn't take it) and
believe I'm close to two other offers now.

On Thursday I got a Fex-Ex envelope at my house. Inside was a written
offer from a company I had interviewed with during the last week of July. The offer itself wasn't bad, but I was shocked, because I had not heard from these people since the day I met with them. I had left the usual follow-up vmails and had written a nice thank-you letter.

I called the hiring manager from that company on Thursday and left a message, and I haven't heard back from her yet. I am wary of accepting the offer. For one thing, it may be a mistake. For another thing, I got the strong sense from the interview that these people treat employees like cattle. The aura they gave off was that it's a privilege to work there and the employee's own needs don't matter. This offer out of the blue seems to reinforce that. What are your thoughts?

Thanks,

Avery

--------------------------------

Dear Avery,

Your instinct is dead on -- no company that respects employees as talent-providers and value-creators would send an offer letter out of the blue, sans conversation, six weeks after an interview. The red flag is waving wildly, and it's saying "The period just before a job offer arrives is the high-water mark for a company's show of love toward you!" If this is the high-water mark, imagine how life on the job will be.

They didn't have the time or courtesy to acknowledge your follow-up calls or letter, to inquire further about your requirements or to sell you any more than they'd already done, on the job. There is an old saying (this isn't it, but the gist is the same) that we can only be abused and insulted with our own permission. Don't do it!

Any number of things may have happened. Another candidate may have dropped out. They may have put the job on hold and just re-activated it. They may have liked you all along but couldn't be bothered to share that info with you.

The great news is that you have two strong irons in the fire now. You've already left the hiring manager a vmail, so I'd put the Fedex and the conversation to the back of your mind and carry on with your life. It takes cheek and a bad kind of gumption to send an offer letter out of the blue to a previously left-in-the-dark candidate. There are employers more worthy of your abilities - scads of 'em.

Best of luck -- Liz

[Susan Christian]

Would agree, leave it on the table; no employer, a good employer that is would leave 6 weeks open; move on.