Quite often in our newsletters and blog posts we share real-life stories that illustrate what to do and what not to do during the interviewing and hiring process. These case studies serve as excellent examples of how to brand yourself within the industry and position yourself for career growth and development.
We have another such case study in this blog post. Here’s what happened . . .
We recently had a candidate accept an offer of employment with one of the companies we represent. However, instead of simply submitting their resignation, they turned the situation into an opportunity to “renegotiate” with their current employer for a better work schedule.
Needless to say, that is NOT a professional thing to do.
Remember, this was after the candidate accepted the company’s offer of employment. Once the candidate did that, the company considered the position to be filled. As such, the company’s officials considered the hiring process complete.
That’s because the candidate gave their word of honor that they were accepting the offer.
While the candidate might believe that they used the situation to their advantage, they were only thinking in the short term. They certainly did not have their eyes on the future.
That’s because this industry is smaller than you think. You never know what’s going to happen down the road or who you’re going to run into, and the kind of short-sighted “tunnel vision” in this example could come back to haunt you . . . and hurt your career.
Take, for example, the company that extended the offer of employment. The candidate branded themselves as somebody who is untrustworthy. Company officials will never consider the candidate for one of their open positions again.
Not only that, but if somebody was to ask those officials about the candidate or if they had any knowledge of the person, do you think they will have positive things to say? Was their experience with the candidate a positive one? It was not, to say the least.
An offer of employment is just that—an offer from a company that wants to hire you. It is NOT an opportunity to gain leverage over your current employer in the interest of enticing concessions that you could not otherwise secure. (If the company only gives you what you want in terms of employment if you threaten to leave, do you really want to work there, anyway?)
How did this particular story end? The candidate called me back a few weeks later to tell me that they regretted what they had done and to ask if the company would make them an offer again. The hiring authority’s response was as follows: “I don’t think so.”
Once you accept an offer and give your word to a new employer, honor that word. To do otherwise will only hurt your career, not grow it.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping recruit top talent for the critical needs of organizations. If this is something you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.