Hiring freezes and layoffs are all common themes in the current job market. One thing that isn’t? Rescinded job offers. It’s so uncommon that most people don’t know what to do when it happens.
However uncommon it has been in the past, the looming recession has made this more of a commonality than in previous years. There’s nothing like excitedly preparing for a career transition before getting hit with the sour news of a retracted offer. Never fret. This isn’t the end of the road and it CAN be navigated through.
Why did the offer get rescinded?
It’s crucial to establish whether this was something on your end or theirs. Some common reasons that job offers don’t pan out are a failed background check, a missed deadline, a financial setback, or an internal disagreement among hiring managers.
For criminal records, if your employer has specific record requirements that aren’t being met, you are unlikely to move forward even with a written offer. Context is key. If it’s an old record that is explainable, it can pay to be transparent before the background search is even conducted.
As far as missed deadlines go, usually, you have a timeline to sign the paperwork for a written agreement. You can request more time if you’re juggling multiple offers.
Some reasons are completely out of your control. If there was a financial setback or an internal miscommunication, you can rest assured that you will find another opportunity elsewhere. Decision makers aren’t always going to be aligned on their hiring strategy (which is why it pays for them to turn to a recruitment firm, like JDI), but refining their recruitment pipeline isn’t something that you need to be concerned about.
So now what can you do about it?
Don’t burn the bridge
There are unfortunately times when unprecedented financial situations create unwanted roadblocks for hiring managers. When things bounce back, the opportunity bounces back. If it’s for a company that you are passionate about, it’s always a good idea to keep someone on the team in your network for future reference.
Talk to your former employer
Reiterating rule #1, you also don’t want to burn the bridge with your old boss. If you parted ways with your former employer on good terms, consider reaching out to your old boss to see if they’d take you back. It’s not always a long-term solution, so communicate your expectations from the beginning to avoid severing ties if you intend to part ways in the future.
When looking for a job, ask about the company’s profitability
When the lockdowns ended, a lot of candidates began asking hiring managers how they handled the covid pandemic. They asked questions because they wanted to know what being at the company during a potential recession would look like.
Rescinded offers aren’t incredibly common, but when they do happen, it’s often because the company is struggling with profitability. How many people have been hired in the last month? How many will be in your onboarding class? How are sales?
Keep in mind that different industries will meet different benchmarks. For example, a hotel wouldn’t have the same profitability as retail during the height of Covid. Smaller businesses aren’t going to need to onboard a large staff.
Get back out there
You’re a hot commodity if you’ve already received an offer. If you’ve done it once, you can do it again. Take the time to refine your resume and make any tweaks that’ll help you take control of your search.