Wife looking to change job to accomodate school start later in year. Ideal job popped up last Friday – fewer hours, working from home and less money – but generally workable.

Local recruitment agency and potential employer interviewed Monday, job ‘offer’ Tuesday. Well verbal from recruitment consultancy.

Back and forth with questions around salary and hours to recruitment consultant Weds and Thurs – who kept saying potential employer very flexible with regard to start date, hours worked and agreeing points identified by by wife. However never saw actual salary offer, hours, vacation, etc.

Wife sent email last night agreeing in principle, subject to sight of firm job offer and draft contract of employment and also stated expected start date – on basis of reasonable and contractual notice period with current employer (15+ years service) who is also out of the country for just over another week – vacation. She advised them that sight of firm offer and draft contract of employment fine in next week, but required before notice could be tendered.

This morning recruitment consultant advises that potential employer wants firm start on 01 March….with no flexibility in terms of start date – take it or leave it. Also no firm documented offer nor sight of contract of employment or when we could see it.

I am risk averse but not comfortable at all with this slight twist nor lack of documented offer, etc. Not comfortable enough for my wife to tender her resignation anyways….

Wait for the documented offer letter.

speak to the employer and not some noddy recruitment bod

What he said – within their rights to change I suppose but does it bode well for future working relationship?

No sensible, future employer would expect a resignation before a written offer (with full terms and conditions) has been given.

Sounds like our boy is more worried about his commission than the well being of his candidate.

Take it or leave it should always be leave it at this stage. Different after several weeks of negotiation and solid offer paperwork when the employer could reasonably expect a decision. Would your wife really want to work at a company who’s ethos contains that phrase?

She may be well served to contact the companies HR manager and repeat what she has been told. It may be that they have an induction programme starting on that date which is valid but your lad should communicate why.

Recruiters like this boil my piss.

Give a verbal “Yes” response to the recruiter but wait for written details before doing anything.

joolsburger – Member

She may be well served to contact the companies HR manager and repeat what she has been told. It may be that they have an induction programme starting on that date which is valid but your lawantd should communicate why.

Recruiters like this boil my piss.

Sounds like good advice to me. its what i would do.

Sounds like our boy is more worried about his commission than the well being of his candidate

There’s a surprise!

I’ve had to have quite stern words with recruitment agents in the past after it appeared that they had no interest in finding me the right role / salary and it was obvious they where only after their commission. I’ve never trusted one since. If you assume that everything they say is a lie then you’ll never be disappointed.

Back to the OP. Explain (doubtless for the umpteenth time) how it’s going to be re notice periods and your current situation. If they don’t understand and try to force the issue then you a) don’t want them “looking out for you” or if b) the end employer is going against their original word then you probably don’t want to work for them anyway.

Thanks all.

I sense that what may have happened was that the verbal “We’ll pay you x per hour and you will work x hrs per work when you want to – within reason” was actually “We’ll pay you x per hour and you will work as and when we require you to which may not actually be a minimum number of hours”.

And by asking for known annual salary, hours, vacation, etc on the doc offer perhaps became an issue – otherwise why not mention the hard requirement for a start date all week and make it clear during interview and subsequent communications. It was all “Yes we are very flexible with start date”.

Email has been sent to both recruiter and potential employer.

Walk away time.

Of course said potential employer may have been playing one candidate off against another too…..