Waiting for a job offer

[dutchgirl678]

I recently interviewed with a large hardware/software company for a role in my very niche field. They loved me and want to hire me. But after that they said they have to wait until June to get the position approved by higher management. It seems that this is fairly common, but I am getting anxious waiting to hear back from them. In my head, there are various scenarios going around where they will change their mind or won't get the permission to hire me. I still have a FT job right now but recently two of my team members left (that I was closest to) and the group is very small. It is very hard to get motivated and I feel very isolated (I WFH in another time zone). I haven't given my notice yet, don't plan to until I have the job offer finalized. But I do feel disconnected and don't really look forward to discussing new research ideas with the team.

Not sure what to do at the moment, except to try to be patient and try to increase my productivity at work. I heard from the recruiter on 4/22, not sure if I should reach out right now or just wait until I hear from them? Try to not stress out too much and hope that everything works out for the best?

[wanderingback]

I don’t see why you would reach out now since they specifically said the approval won’t come until June. I would think it would be reasonable to reach out mid June if you don’t hear anything by then. Good luck!

[dutchgirl678]

wanderingback, I know in my mind that I should just wait. I guess I'm just letting my insecurity get the best of me. This job would give me a significant pay raise and the company is well-known and well-respected in my field, so I really want it.

[wildrice]

I don't think it will kill your chances of being hired if you reach out and just say something about how you're still excited about the job and looking forward to hearing from them in June, or some version of that. They likely can't tell you anything, but I don't think it hurts to stay on their radar.

That's really weird that they interviewed you before the position was approved. I've never heard of that. I wonder if you'll still have to go through a process at that point? Have you even formally applied if there is no job actually approved?

[dutchgirl678]

wildrice I agree that it sounds really weird, which is why I am so nervous at the moment. My guess is that they interviewed multiple people and decided they wanted to hire more than one? But they never gave me any information to that effect. There was an official job posting and I was approached on LinkedIn by the senior technical manager himself, not a recruiter. I won't have to interview again and HR will send me the offer paperwork once it's been approved. The manager also said if I couldn't wait that there were other positions available (including a product manager position) but I told him I'd rather wait for the position I interviewed for and he said that sounds great.

[ellipses84]

I’d be patient and check in via email during the last week of May. Tell them how excited you are and remind them you need a formal offer to put in 2 weeks notice at your current employer (or whatever, in nicer language). The people who interviewed you may want to hire you but the executives above them may have other ideas about hiring in general and is why they have to wait until June. Don’t feel like you have to promise to start with less notice even if they really want you to. You shouldn’t put yourself at risk without a formal offer.

DH’s current job verbally hired him and I arranged to transfer my job to our current city and then the massive international company mandated a hiring freeze. It definitely screwed up our short term plans, but we knew we could manage on my income for a while, wanted to relocate to that city and that he’d find a different job if needed. He was a SAHD while we transitioned and they really did hire him a few months later when the freeze ended!

As for phoning it in at your current job, I wouldn’t worry about it for a few weeks either way. Maybe focus on things that will help your team when you leave, like a transition plan, wrapping up loose ends, etc.

[ellipses84]

Also, unless you’ve already negotiated or they have set published pay, don’t be afraid to counteroffer. No matter how much you want the job, how much more you will make, etc. Consider things like PTO and health benefit costs with the overall offer. The worst they can say is no. If anyone ever rescinded a formal offer for a counteroffer, it’s not a place you want to work.

[dutchgirl678]

ellipses84 thanks for your insights. They haven't made a formal offer yet and they didn't publish the pay with the job opening. But I have seen typical salary and stock levels for this company on levels.fyi and a friend of mine talked to a neighbor who recently switched from another company where he worked for 30 years to this company. The neighbor told me to negotiate as well. This company is listed on Glassdoor as one of the best companies to work for with excellent benefits.

I will follow your advice and wait until the last week of May to check in.

[sadlebred]

May 12, 2022 12:36:08 GMT -5 wildrice said:

I don't think it will kill your chances of being hired if you reach out and just say something about how you're still excited about the job and looking forward to hearing from them in June, or some version of that. They likely can't tell you anything, but I don't think it hurts to stay on their radar.

That's really weird that they interviewed you before the position was approved. I've never heard of that. I wonder if you'll still have to go through a process at that point? Have you even formally applied if there is no job actually approved?

It happens sometimes. A few years ago I interviewed for Position X before it was officially posted/approved with a company. I interviewed again after the official posting and was offered the job. Sadly, it had turned into Job Q that I did not feel qualified for although I probably could have learned OTJ. I did not know the responsibilities had totally changed until the job offer. Interview one was about 2 months before Interview 2. The offer was about 6 weeks after that--when they decided they really needed a totally different skillset. Think teapot engineer now asked to be a widget design project manager. Needless to say, I had to decline what was a decent offer.

[Pom]

H is going through this same thing right now. He started interviewing after getting called in immediately after applying. Interviews were 2-3 weeks apart (3 total) and the last was 5 hours, “meeting the team”. He said the long interview felt like his first day. Big sell to him to make sure it was something he’d want to do. Then he met the hiring manager again on his way out, and HM started mentioning making sure with the exec team that they were in a place to bring him on right away. Previous interviews did not reveal a delay (although it seemed a bit of a slow walk, which wasn’t totally unusual) and the same hiring mgr was very excited to hire Mr P. Regardless, following the exec team’s meeting, he got a message from HR to say they were excited to have him on the team and that they would be ready to extend an offer at the end of May. We suspect that a. Someone is leaving and/or b. they are waiting for a big project to come on-line. Regardless, waiting at Chez Pom continues. Mr. P also has short-timers at his current gig and we get your pain. Lol. Best of luck to you with everything. Keep us posted!

[Pom]

dutchgirl678, any more career news?

So, Mr. P followed up right after Memorial Day and he got a response of "some projects have not started as expected and while you are our top candidate, we are not quite ready to extend the offer." Understandable, things happen. We continue, as before, looking on line for other opportunities. Yesterday, we see the listing at the same company has been renewed on Indeed. That seemed shitty.

This morning, they call to let him know an offer was coming. He had the offer from them within the hour. Someone retired unexpectedly they said, so he feels solid in accepting the spot due to it being at the top of their pay structure and he is replacing a current team member. He won't be an added member to the existing team, it feels to us a more secure spot.

[dutchgirl678]

Good to hear about your DH Pom! Still strange that at first they kind of blew him off but then extended him an offer so quickly. I'm glad he feels good about it.

I don't have an offer yet. But I emailed the recruiter a few weeks ago and didn't get any response. Then last week I decided to email the senior technical manager and he responded within 5 minutes and set up a quick phone call which we had last Wednesday. I think we had a good conversation about my expertise and how I could start off in the job. He said he was going to take it back to the team and I should hear back within a few days and then it would be two weeks at most before HR would send me paperwork. Now it is 6 days since our last talk and still no update, lol. He did say there was a slowdown in hiring and that my position isn't affected by that. And while we didn't discuss salary he mentioned the job title and the level range so I have some idea of what it will look like. Whatever it comes out to be, it will most likely double my current salary which is way under market value.

[Pom]

dutchgirl678, that sounds like a great update on your end. I hope it all moves forward for you soon. Keep us posted.

As far as Mr. P, we though it was strange too. We have moved to a really remote area where we really wanted to live and this job is way above average for around here, so we are just letting it go. We have heard from others in the area that people often retire from there after long careers and honestly, that is his goal. So.

[dutchgirl678]

Update: After total silence for seven (!!) weeks (and several emails from me asking for an update), I finally heard back yesterday. After a rigorous evaluation of their current priorities they cannot extend an offer to me at this time .

[scout8]

Boo. I'm sorry.

[Pom]

Oh no. I am sorry to hear that.

[jwright]

Man, that sucks! Sorry!

[sadlebred]

That stinks! I am sorry.

[wise_rita]

How shitty of them to string you along like that for nothing! I'm sorry.

[flygirl]

I’m sorry-I hope you find something else soon.

[goldengirlz]

I’m sorry. So many companies in tech are going through hiring freezes and layoffs right now. It sucks.

[chpmnk1015]

Oh no! So sorry

[jlt19]

I am so sorry. The exact same thing happened to me in January 2020 (start of it). I was basically ghosted until late April. At least you’re not dumb like me and actually left your job a couple of weeks before a worldwide pandemic?

I did end up starting that same job in June 2020 when they were able to hire again, so fingers crossed for you!

[dutchgirl678]

jlt19, I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal and that you left your job already. I was talking to a friend of mine who just left our company and he kept stressing to me not to quit until after the paperwork was signed. I'm glad I listened to him. I'm just continuing my search now. Luckily there is a large technical conference next month where I am closely involved in the organization and was also invited to give a survey talk this year. I hope it will help me network and open up some new opportunities.