3 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Why did HR withdraw my job offer after 'indicating' I got the job?' — Jobseeker asks after being put through 5 months of job interview process
SINGAPORE: After enduring five grueling months of a job interview process, document submissions, and hopeful anticipation, a job seeker thought he had finally reached the career finish line.
The HR department even dangled an indicative job offer in front of him. But all of a sudden, they decided to pull the rug out from under him — the offer was suddenly withdrawn.
Gary, the job seeker still reeling from this twist of fate, wrote back after his previous dilemma about 'Why did HR ghost me after my job interview?' to CNA's Work It podcast for answers. This time, his question had a darker twist: 'Why did HR withdraw my job offer after 'indicating' I got the job?' From green light to red alert
Tiffany, the podcast host, explained Gary's situation: 'He got past the interview, submitted documents for background screening, and then he was given an indicative job offer. Senior management approval was sought, and then… suddenly, the indicative offer was withdrawn.'
Five months of effort — poof! All gone in the blink of an eye… So understandably, Gary was crushed and wanted to know what went wrong.
Gerald, the career coach, always the voice of career wisdom, acknowledged Gary's frustration: 'Going through five months almost at the finish line but not getting it, it really doesn't feel good,' he said. 'Gary, if you're listening, I hope you didn't quit your job.' Possible reasons HR pulled the offer
Gerald laid out several plausible (and painfully common) scenarios:
Reference check failure: 'Maybe the reference check didn't work in his favour, and then they decided not to proceed.'
Budget cuts: 'Maybe the company might have felt that they don't need this person.'
Hiring freeze or restructuring: Internal shifts could cause sudden U-turns in hiring plans.
Tiffany also added that, 'Many things could have changed within the five months.'
Gerald agreed: 'There could be a hiring freeze, and so all of these would affect the indicative offer being taken away.' What even is an 'indicative job offer' anyway?
Tiffany posed the burning question: 'Why would companies give an indicative job offer without actually being sure in the first place?'
Gerald's answer: 'They want to give you the indicative offer so that you're kind of prepared, primed to accept it later on. So you start to think about your plans—how to exit from your current role.'
Basically, an indicative offer is the corporate version of 'We're pretty sure we want to date you… unless something better comes up or our parents say no.' Could Gary have done anything differently?
Sadly, Gerald says the answer is not really. Indicative offers are usually verbal and rarely put in writing. However, he offered one practical tip for all job seekers:
'If the reference check was the issue… prepare your referees. Contact them and tell them someone's going to be calling. [Tell them] 'Maybe you could say something for me'.' See also 4 in 10 young women do not foresee themselves getting married
Otherwise, as Tiffany hinted, 'they [referees] score [their] own goal for you.' Key takeaway: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Gary's situation is, in Gerald's words, 'very unfortunate' — but not entirely uncommon. And while there's no foolproof way to protect yourself from these scenarios, being proactive, especially when it comes to reference checks, can help smooth the path.
Tiffany also offered Gary (and every jobseeker out there) a hopeful send-off: 'We hope that things will look up for you. And we hope that in the future, companies don't do that to you.'
Read related: 'Why did HR ghost me after my job interview?' — Jobseeker asks and gets advice from career coach, who also advises HR to stop ghosting interviewees
