How to Handle Being Ignored by Recruiter After Job Offer

Getting a job offer can be exciting ─particularly if it’s for what you consider your dream job. It can also cause you to feel anxious. You may have to consider moving to another state, perhaps uprooting your family, or any number of other things could change if you accept a job offer. Imagine what it might feel like to tell your family and friends that you’ve gotten the job you were hoping for, to start planning a cross-country move for this job, and informing your current employer that you will be leaving to accept a new position. Exciting, right? But what happens when, after a verbal offer, the recruiter stops responding to your emails and calls? You may have many questions. Did you do something wrong? Did the employer change their mind about you? Did they offer the job to someone else and just didn’t tell you? Can the employer take back their offer even though it was only verbal? You may become outraged thinking about all the plans you’ve made, all the trouble you’ve gone through to prepare to start the new position. You may even wonder if you can sue the employer. Can you force the employer to honor their verbal offer?

Incidents such as this is known as recruiter ghosting. Apparently, it’s more common than we might think. This article addresses several issues related to recruiter ghosting including common reasons why recruiters do it, early signs that you’re being ghosted, what to do when a recruiter ghosts you after a verbal offer, and ways to avoid being ghosted in the future. 

Although no candidate appreciates having a job offer rescinded, a company can rescind a verbal job offer. Without a written agreement, the offer is not finalized, and the company has the flexibility to change its decision. This second article asserts that even with a written agreement employers are allowed to rescind job offers in an at-will employment state. The article suggests that there are many reasons a job offer may be rescinded that are for the most part lawful. A few examples include:

• The candidate didn’t pass a background check or drug test.
• The candidate took too long to respond.
• The company experiences a major financial change or upheaval. 
• Something offensive or objectionable crops up (i.e., in your social media outlets). 

In most cases, the reasons above are generally lawful in an at-will state. However, there are some reasons for rescinding a job offer that are usually unlawful. These include your criminal history (depending on your state) and discrimination. (One of the more common discriminatory reasons involves pregnancy, in which an offer is rescinded because the employer discovers the applicant is expecting.)

The article admonishes employers to carefully document the reason they rescind an offer to demonstrate it wasn’t discriminatory. If the employer uses background checks or drug testing, they have to adhere to certain requirements before they can fire you or rescind an offer legally—depending on state and local law. There could be legal consequences for employers, so an attorney’s advice should always be sought before rescinding an offer.

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